Mahhamad Kekalov is disability rights activist, a social entrepreneur, a journalist, and a Global Voices contributor. He is the founder of “Kekalove Adaptive Fashion,” a fashion brand for wheelchair users. Kakelov was affiliated with Abzas Media.

On November 20, 2023, plainclothes men allegedly took Kekalov from his house against his will. They also seized his computer and a mobile phone. Kekalov was subsequently driven away in an unknown direction, and his whereabouts remained unknown for more than 48 hours. During his incommunicado detention, the charges against him were unspecified. On November 22, the Baku City General Police Department eventually confirmed his detention. It announced that Kekalov had been charged with smuggling in collusion with Hasanli and Sevinj Vagifgizi (see below). 

Although Kekalov’s family hired him a lawyer, unbeknownst to them, he was assigned a different lawyer and refused the family lawyer’s service. On November 23, 2023, the Khatai District Court placed Kekalov under four months of pre-trial detention on charges of conspiring to smuggle foreign currency.

Kekalov’s pre-trial detention was extended several times. On June 12, the Khatai District Court extended his pre-trial detention for another three months.

On August 17, 2024, authorities amended the indictment and brought new charges against Kekalov including illegal entrepreneurship, money laundering, tax evasion, and document forgery.