"Terter case": acquittal, overturned sentences, new arrests and persons put on the wanted list

Baku/20.04.22/Turan: According to the press service of the Prosecutor General's Office, issued yesterday in connection with the "Terter case", appeals were satisfied in 16 criminal cases against 16 persons accused of high treason (Article 274 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan). Since this fact has not been confirmed, the appeals in 16 criminal cases filed against 16 persons convicted of crimes in relation to military service were cancelled.

It was decided to return these cases for further investigation to the prosecutor in charge of procedural guidance. After a comprehensive, complete and objective investigation of all circumstances related to the criminal prosecution of these persons, final decisions will be made.

Preliminary criminal proceedings were initiated against 10 other persons previously convicted of high treason, but subsequently convicted without confirmation for committing other crimes.

At the same time, the investigation decided to terminate the criminal prosecution on the basis of an acquittal (Article 39.1.2 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan), since all the details regarding the late Guliyev Elchin Matlab oglu were thoroughly and objectively investigated and no criminal elements were identified in his actions.

Together with persons recognized as victims of torture during the previous investigation, 397 victims have been identified in criminal cases so far. Over the past period, 280 new victims of torture and other ill-treatment have been identified.  Seven people were arrested,  and one was put on the international wanted list.

Rasul Jafarov, a human rights activist, head of the Baku Human Rights Club, and Valida Ahmadova, the mother of Guliyev, who received an acquittal of Elchin Matlab oglu, talk about the course of the investigation and court decisions in the “Difficult Question” program.

According to Jafarov, the investigation has identified only 397 victims of the "Terter case" to date, while the scale of this crime is much wider and, accordingly, there are more victims. “I hope that other victims will be identified soon,” he said.

The human rights activist also noted that 5 or 6 acquittals have already been passed and there is hope that 16 persons whose appeals were satisfied the day before will be acquitted.

“I hope that 10 more people will soon be acquitted, also convicted earlier for high treason, but subsequently convicted without confirmation for committing other crimes,” he added.

As for persons accused under Articles of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan 145.3 (“Illegal deprivation of liberty”), 293.2 (“Torture, cruel, inhuman or treatment not considered torture”), 341.2.2 (“Excess of official authority”) , 341.2.3 and 128 (“Intentional infliction of minor harm to health”), then according to Jafarov,  six  of them  have already been arrested, and one is put on the wanted list.

“These people are just the perpetrators of this crime, but the organizers of the Terter massacre should also be punished,” he said.

According to Valida Ahmadova, she does not intend to confine herself to restoring the good name of her son and will fight for the rights of all victims of the “Terter case.”