Chief of religious site is accused of five articles

The General Directorate for Serious Crimes of the Prosecutor's Office of Azerbaijan has completed the investigation of the criminal case against the editor of the religious site xeber44.com Araz Guliyev. The case was brought before the court, the lawyer Fariz Namazly told Turan.

Guliyev was arrested on 8 September, when he illuminated believers’ rally in Masalli, which protested against the folk festival of dancers and organizing discos. Then Guliyev and several other protesters were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.

However, later this accusation of Guliyev was removed and replaced with charges on five new items: 228 (illegal possession of weapons), 233 (public nuisance), 283 (inciting ethnic hatred), 315.2 (resisting the police force) and 324 (insult of the Azerbaijan flag).

The journalist denies all the charges, including illegal possession of weapons. According to investigators, at his home a grenade was found, but the defendant claims that the grenade had been planted.

The lawyer also reported the insolvency of the charges and procedural violations during the investigation. Moreover, after the arrest Guliyev was beaten in the Masalli district police.

Namazly reported that he applied for stopping the criminal case and the release of Guliyev. -06B-