What happens in the trial of religious people?

Baku/08.08.23/Turan: Arzu Abdullah Gulzaman, a human rights defender, sheds light on recent apprehensions of religious figures in Azerbaijan and offers insights into the trials of previously detained religious leaders in the "Difficult Question" program. She underscores the ambiguity surrounding the total count of detained religious activists due to the lack of official information.

While some detentions have been officially disclosed, recent arrests lack such transparency. However, prolonged social media inactivity (2-3 months) by a believer is often indicative of their imprisonment, Gulzaman asserts.

Gulzaman emphasizes the challenges in ascertaining the number of believers sentenced to incarceration through trial monitoring. Investigators and state-appointed attorneys often mislead defendants and their families to prevent them from drawing broad conclusions about persecution by law enforcement. By offering promises of shorter sentences and swift release, they deter the defendants from sharing their cases with the public. This makes it challenging to accurately gauge the extent of those in custody.

Regarding the potential of tracking believers brought to criminal accountability through court attendance, Gulzaman mentions that defendants are usually presented in groups of 4-5 individuals. However, due to parents' concerns over social exposure and their reluctance to allow observers into these proceedings, exact numbers cannot be accurately monitored. Disrupted access to courtrooms hampers the ability to quantify the incarcerated believers.

Gulzaman asserts that the arrests persist, driven by seemingly contrived charges, including those related to drug offenses. She underscores that these detentions continue to mount, revealing a pattern of individuals being accused under questionable pretexts, often tied to drug-related allegations.