A year without Adil Ismailov. Will newcomers be able to replace departed lawyers?

Baku/03.12.21/Turan: A year passed since the death of Adil Ismayilov. Adil Ismailov was a member of the Bar Association. Adil Ismayilov participated in the most famous trials, defending the rights of politicians and persons recognized as political prisoners.

In recent years, such reputable lawyers as Isahan Ashurov, Elton Guliyev, Adil Ismailov have passed away.  In addition, many lawyers involved in political proceedings were expelled from the Bar Association and their membership in this structure has not yet been restored.

Will the new lawyers be a worthy replacement for these lawyers?

Former lawyer Yalchyn Imanov answers these and other questions in the program "Difficult Question".

According to him, Adil Ismailov was a professional of the highest class and conducted the affairs of his clients impeccably. He studied to the smallest nuances any case he took on, and his evidence base was consistently at the level of the best investigators.

“As a matter of fact, while defending his client, he collected facts as an investigator. Adil Ismailov never appeared at the trial unprepared, always prepared questions in advance for witnesses, clients, for all participants in the trial. Nowadays you rarely find a lawyer who would work at such a high level,” Imanov said.

He noted that the decisions made in the Azerbaijani court proceedings do not depend on the quality of the work of lawyers. Nevertheless, according to him, “Adil Ismailov did everything in his power and he did it impeccably, acting according to the principle -“ do what you must and be what will be”. He always fought to the end."

According to Imanov, there are no grounds for optimism that a worthy replacement for such lawyers as Adil Ismailov, Isahan Ashurov and Elton Guliyev has grown up.

“The younger generation of lawyers thinks more about their careers. They want to use the practice of law as a stepping stone for their careers.

“Most of them tend to do this quite clearly. And the fact that such aspirations are associated with advocacy is an interesting phenomenon in itself. Young, talented, promising lawyers are emerging, but the Bar Association is authoritarian and tightly controlled. All this excludes the formation of such lawyers as Elton Guliyev and Adil Ismailov,” the lawyer believes.