Court of Appeal upholds the activist of NIDA, Zaur Gurbanly, in custody

Baku Appeals Court  chaired by the judge, Aflatun Gasimov, considered a complaint of the activist and blogger of the NIDA Movement, Zaur Gurbanly.

A complaint was filed by the decision of the Nasimi District Court on April 1 on the  arrest  of GUrbanli for three months on charges of illegal possession of explosives. However, the judge dismissed the complaint of  Gasimov, and left the  activist in custody,  said the lawyer Khalid Bagirov.

He stated  there were other falsifications  in the case of Gurbanly.

Thus, the trial court considered the issue of the detention without criminal case materials. The investigation did not provide the materials of the case at yesterday's  court trial  in  the Court of Appeal. After protests of  protection,  the judge adjourned the hearing until Tuesday.

According to Bagirov, although the materials were submitted today,  the judge did not even consider them.

On March 7 activists  of NIDA Movement  Bakhtiyar Guliyev, Shahin Novruzlu and Mahammad Aziz, were arrested.  They were accused of planning acts of violence during the upcoming protest on March 10 against the soldiers' deaths. According to investigators, explosives and drugs were found in the apartments of the activists. However, their relatives said that the substances  were brought by employees of the law enforcement bodies.

On March 14 another NIDA, activist, Rashad Hasanov, was arrested. International human rights organization Amnesty International has recognized  them as "prisoners of conscience."

On March 30 two members of the board  of NIDA, Rashadat Ahundov and Uzeyir Mammadov, were arrested and on April 1 Zaur Gurbanly was arrested.—16C06-