Arrest terms of 'Toplum TV' case accused extended for another 3 months

The Khatai district court of Baku has today granted the petitions of the investigation to extend the terms of pre-trial detention of the accused in the 'Toplum TV' case.

Thus, the arrest terms of Akif Gurbanov, director of the Institute of Democratic Initiatives (IDI); member of the same Institute Ruslan Izzatli; activist Ilkin Amrakhov; founder of 'Toplum TV' Alesker Mammadli and employees of this publication: Mushfig Jabbar and Ali Zeynalov have been extended for three months.

The defense lawyers claimed that the detention of the defendants in the case was unjustified and intend to appeal against the court decisions.

The issue of extending the arrest term of another activist Ramin Babayev will be considered presumably on 4 October.

*On 6-8 March nine journalists of 'Tolum TV' and its partner organisation, the Institute for Democratic Initiatives, were detained. They were accused of smuggling foreign currency. Seven were arrested and two were placed under police supervision. The defendants in the case deny the charges. Human rights activists recognized those arrested as political prisoners.