Ilkin Suleymanov, sentenced to 18 years, Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, whose apartment was searched, was thrown into the punishment cell by Taleh Bagyrzade...

Baku/06.06.23/Turan: Ilkin Suleymanov, who was convicted of murdering a young girl in the Tovuz district, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison by the Ganja Court for Serious Crimes, headed by Judge Dadash Imanov. The verdict states that Suleymanov will serve his sentence in a high-security correctional facility. These developments were reported to Turan by Elchin Sadygov, the lawyer representing Suleymanov.

On June 6, a search operation was initiated at the residence of imprisoned public activist Bakhtiar Hajiyev in Baku, as well as at his parents' house in Ganja, and the apartments of his brother and friends. The lawyer, Elchin Sadygov, informed Turan that the searches were authorized by Judge Fuad Akhundov of the Khatai district court in Baku. Hajiyev is facing charges of hooliganism and contempt of court, but these charges do not typically involve operational investigative measures, according to the lawyer. Sadygov commented that it appears authorities may be seeking to bring forth new charges against Hajiyev.

Reports indicate that imprisoned theologian Taleh Bagirzade, who is the chairman of the Muslim Unity Movement, has been placed in a punitive isolation cell. Bagirzade is currently held at Correctional Institution No. 12.

In a program called "Difficult Question," human rights activist Rufat Safarov addressed various human rights issues. Safarov stated that he had reviewed the indictment, was familiar with the defense's position, and had attended multiple sessions of the high-profile trial. According to Safarov, the case against Ilkin Suleymanov was marred by significant procedural violations during the investigation, which raised doubts about the quality of the examination. Furthermore, Safarov claimed that the defendant's guilt was not proven during the trial, yet Judge Dadash Imanov still sentenced Suleymanov to 18 years in a high-security correctional facility.

Safarov suggested that the investigative authorities were under pressure to solve the crime and find the missing girl after President Ilham Aliyev intervened in the case. As a result, they allegedly decided to pin the crime on Ilkin Suleymanov without sufficient evidence.

Regarding the searches conducted at the residences of Bakhtiyar Hajiyev's relatives and friends, Safarov speculated that new criminal cases might be initiated against the activist. He believed that the authorities aimed to prevent Hajiyev's early release and potentially charge him with economic crimes. Safarov emphasized that the authorities' actions could be seen as retribution for Hajiyev's recent outspoken criticism of the government.

Safarov also noted that Taleh Bagirzade's transfer to the punitive isolation cell was likely due to his protests against the mistreatment of prisoners by prison staff. The human rights activist did not rule out the possibility of Bagirzade being transferred to the Gobustan prison, a closed-type facility, in order to isolate him from other inmates.