Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev posted photos to his official Facebook page, showing Hickey in attendance for the event at the Baku National Stadium. 

The 71-year-old Irishman, who has temporarily stood down as President of the European Olympic Committees (EOC), was photographed attending a reception to mark the end of the Islamic Solidarity Games.

He was also pictured in the VIP section, sitting alongside Neşe Gündoğan, the secretary general of the Turksih Olympic Committee, applauding as Aliyev waved to the crowd during the Closing Ceremony yesterday. 

Hickey has strong ties with Baku and particularly Aliyev.

It was Hickey who persuaded Aliyev to take on the burden of hosting the first-ever European Games in 2015, even though Azerbaijan had less than three years to prepare for the event. 

Hickey picked out the European Games as a particular highlight in a farewell statement in February when he officially vacated his post as President of the Olympic Council of Ireland.

President Aliyev awarded Hickey with the Sharaf Order, Azerbaijan’s highest honour, on his 70th birthday in June 2015. 

In January 2016, the EOC awarded the First Lady of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva their Order of Merit in recognition of her "contribution to sport and the Olympic Movement" after she had chaired the Organising Committee for Baku 2015. 

Hickey praised Aliyeva for the "hands-on" commitment she showed in the build-up to and during the European Games when he gave her the honour.

He also praised President Aliyev, head of the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as a "fantastic visionary" and "a great man".

Hickey was arrested during a dawn raid at during Rio 2016 last August and briefly held in a high security prison before being detained under a house arrest.

He was charged with various ticketing offences, reportedly including criminal organisation, ticket touting, ambush marketing, larceny, money laundering and tax evasion.

Hickey has denied all the charges against him.

He was permitted to leave Brazil in December after paying a court bond of €410,000 ($440,000/£352,000) following a loan from the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC).

Hickey temporarily stood down from his international roles following his arrest and was replaced as President of the OCI by Sarah Keane in February.

He remains a suspended member of the International Olympic Committee Executive Board and as first vice-president of ANOC, as well as the EOC.

Hickey is expected to be replaced as the EOC President when his latest four-year term comes to an end at their General Assembly, scheduled to take place in Zagreb on November 24 and 25.

Acting EOC President Janez Kocijančič told insidethegames that the EOC do not expect the legal proceedings against Hickey to be completed before the election, meaning a new President will be chosen.

Hickey has been President of the EOC since 2006.