Bakhtiar Hajiyev pointed out the falsification of signatures in the materials of the criminal case

On Friday, the Baku Serious Crimes Court, at the trial in the case of public activist Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, scheduled to hear the testimony of the victim - Ulvia Muradova (Alovlu) and Orkhan Abdullayev. However, they did not show up, and the judge suggested to postpone the hearing to the next trial.

Bakhtiar Hajiyev and his lawyers asked the court to ensure their compulsory appearance. However, the judge said that this measure is possible if they do not come next time.

Hajiyev drew attention to the fact that in various materials of the criminal case, the signatures of the investigator of the Yasamal police department Punhan Abilov and the expert doctor Jahangir Ismayilov, who gave an opinion on the injury of the victim Muradova, vary greatly.

Hajiyev asked the court to verify these signatures. However, the prosecutor asked not to consider the petition, because it is difficult to find out this issue without the participation of these persons themselves. The judge said that in the future Abilov and Ismayilov could be summoned to court to clarify the issue.

The court rejected the defense's request to videotape the trial. Muradova's representative requested a closed-door trial regarding her client, but the court rejected this request.

Hajiyev then gave evidence. He said that the investigation against him was "ordered", "biased" and conducted "incompetently". Due to his conflict with Muradova in October 2022, the criminal case against her was terminated. Hajiyev was told that the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs had instructed not to bring women to criminal responsibility.

The proceedings were resumed after Bakhtiar Hajiyev began calling for sanctions against the Azerbaijani authorities in connection with human rights violations in the country.

He was summoned to the police and  was warned that if he did not stop these calls, he would be punished. It was the day after the imposition of personal sanctions against the Azerbaijani police officer that he was arrested.

Hajiyev also stated that he did not understand why the charges against him under the Article "smuggling" were not dropped.  He pointed out that he had not been to Georgia in 2019-2022, and requests for his bank accounts and property in Georgia received a negative response from that country.

The next court hearing is scheduled for March 1.

* Bakhtiar Hajiyev was detained on December 9, 2022 on charges of hooliganism under Articles 221 and 289 (contempt of court) of the Criminal Code.  In July of the same year, he was charged under Articles 192 (illegal entrepreneurship), 193-1 (legalization of proceeds from crime) and 206 (smuggling) of the Criminal Code.

On November 7, Hajiyev was charged under Article 213.1 of the Criminal Code (tax evasion, unemployment insurance payments, compulsory medical and social insurance).

All the charges are fabricated. Bakhtiar Hajiyev is convinced that the reason for the arrest and charges is the criticism of the authorities. Human rights activists recognized him as a political prisoner.