Alesker Mammadli's lawyers apply to ECHR

The defence of "Toplum TV"s legal founder Alesker Mammadli has filed a new petition to transfer him to house arrest, his brother Nasimi Mammadli told Turan.

According to him, Mammadli received a call from the pre-trial detention center today.

"Despite the absence of complaints about detention conditions, he is concerned about his health problems. In the detention center, blood samples were taken from him for analyses, which confirmed negative changes in his health, particularly in the functioning of the pancreas, liver and thyroid gland,’ Mammadli said.

Mammadli is particularly concerned about the refusal to allow him to undergo a biopsy examination due to a 23-mm nodule in his thyroid gland.

N.Mammadli said that due to the lack of effective medical assistance to A.Mammadli, his lawyers applied to the European Court of Human Rights.

In addition, on 22 May the lawyers filed a petition to transfer Mammadli under house arrest so that he could receive effective treatment in a private clinic.

The petition will be considered either at the end of this week or at the beginning of next week.

N. Mammadli also noted that 24 May is Mammadli's birthday, he turns 56 years old.

It was not possible to get comments from the Penitentiary Service.

It should be recalled that the founder of "Tolum TV" was arrested on 8 March on charges of money smuggling by prior conspiracy.

Earlier, 7 employees of "Toplum TV" and the Institute for Democratic Initiatives were detained on 6 March. Five of them were taken into custody, two more were taken into police custody.

International organisations called to stop criminal prosecution of those arrested in the case of "Tolum TV" and other media outlets in Azerbaijan, in particular "Abzas Media" and "Kanal-13".