The video reinforces public doubts about Suleymanov's guilt

Baku/16.06.23/Turan: The release of a video featuring Ilkin Suleymanov's confession in the murder of 10-year-old Narmin Guliyeva has stirred controversy following his sentencing to 18 years in prison. Journalist Ayten Mammadova, who closely followed the trial and provided detailed updates to the public, expressed her skepticism on social media, suggesting that the timing of the video's release was intentional. Mammadova claimed that the distribution aimed to sway public opinion, as many people believed the verdict to be unfair and believed Suleymanov to be innocent.

During the trial, the video in question became a topic of discussion. Suleymanov initially alleged that he wore slippers in the video due to being tortured at the crime scene, stating, "I had no shoes on my feet." Interestingly, the video does show a man wearing a jacket and slippers in January.

Lawyers in the court raised concerns about the investigator's instructions, whispered to the defendant during the video recording, including the statement, "I said there would be no sexual intercourse." Additionally, interference from another official of the prosecutor's office and various other irregularities were noted.

On June 5, Judge Dadash Imanov presided over the Ganja Court for Serious Crimes, where Suleymanov received the 18-year prison sentence for the murder of Narmin Guliyeva in the Tovuz district. In his final statement, Suleymanov denied the accusations and requested an acquittal.

To recap, the disappearance of Narmin Guliyeva, a resident of the village of Dondar Gushchu in the Tovuz district, occurred on November 21, 2019. Her burned body was discovered on January 6, 2020. On January 10, 2020, Ilkin Suleymanov, also a resident of Dondar Gushchu, born in 1973, was detained and held accountable as the prime suspect.

Suleymanov faced charges under several articles of the Criminal Code, including premeditated murder committed with extreme cruelty, premeditated murder of a helpless person, and kidnapping causing death or other grave consequences, among others.

Rasul Jafarov, a human rights activist and the head of the Baku Human Rights Club, provided his perspective on the matter during an episode of the "Difficult Question" program. According to Jafarov, the release of the investigation video, featuring Suleymanov's confession, aimed to vindicate the court's verdict due to widespread public dissatisfaction with the investigation and the court's decision. However, Jafarov emphasized that the video itself does not serve as proof of Suleymanov's guilt.

Jafarov highlighted several aspects of the video that raise doubts, such as Suleymanov wearing slippers in the January cold, indicating possible torture on his heels. He also pointed out instances in which Suleymanov was prompted with "the right words" during his testimony, as well as moments of irony and statements that appear implausible.

Jafarov underscored that Suleymanov's statements from January 8, in which he discusses the discovery of the girl's body and his interactions, do not contain any confession. This raises the question of what could have prompted Suleymanov to suddenly make a sincere confession, given that he had maintained his innocence since his detention on January 6.