Court Partially Granted Defense Request for Tofiq Yagublu
On Friday, the Baku Serious Crimes Court continued the proceedings in the case of opposition politician Tofiq Yagublu. Yagublu's lawyers requested the summons of additional witnesses, including members of the National Council of Democratic Forces, opposition activists, and Yagublu’s wife, Maya Yagublu. Contrary to the prosecution's claims that Yagublu was involved in handing over money to facilitate a visa for Elshan Huseynov in the Zabrat settlement, his lawyers argued that he was actually attending a National Council meeting in the Pirshaghi settlement at that time. Witnesses can confirm this. The court partially granted the request, deciding to call four additional witnesses. The next court session is scheduled for October 18.
It’s important to note that Tofiq Yagublu, a member of the National Council of Democratic Forces and the Musavat Party, was arrested on December 14, 2023, on charges of fraud, forgery, and the illegal production and use of official documents.
Yagublu has called the charges fabricated. He has faced criminal and administrative persecution in the past, and international organizations have recognized him as a prisoner of conscience.
Politics
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Aide to the President of Azerbaijan Hikmet Hajiyev is on a visit to Iran, where he met with Adviser to the President of the Islamic Republic Mehdi Sanayi.
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On January 31, the trial of opposition politician Tofig Yagublu continued at the Baku Serious Crimes Court, where the examination of documents resumed. Yagublu pointed out the falsification of the search protocols related to the search at his home. He drew attention to the fact that the protocol stated that on December 14, 2023, at 16:00, the investigator completed the questioning of the "victim" and decided to conduct a search.
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Elvin Zeynalov, a religious activist living in the village of Mashtaga, was detained on January 31 around noon by individuals in plain clothes outside a store near his home. According to his relatives, later in the evening, Zeynalov was brought back home by people in black clothing, who conducted a search. They took Zeynalov's pants from the wardrobe, put marijuana in the pocket, then "seized" the drugs, filmed the video, and then took the activist away again.
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During the winter session of PACE at the Palais de l'Europe in Strasbourg, a "parallel event" was held on January 30 dedicated to the "alarming human rights crisis in Azerbaijan." The hearings were organized by the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS) and PACE member, co-chair of the Group of Unified European Left (Group of the Unified European), Spanish parliamentarian Laura Castel Fort.
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