Former defendant of ‘Ganja case’ convicted again

The trial of Kyamal Guliyev, accused of drug trafficking, has been completed in the Ganja Court of Grave Crimes. The court sentenced him to 5 years and 6 months of imprisonment, relatives of the convict said.  Earlier, Guliyev was already tried in the so-called ‘Ganja case’.

Recall that he was detained on 10 July 2018 for participating in a protest in front of the executive building in Ganja.  The demonstration was organised after the arrest of Yunis Safarov, who made an assassination attempt on 3 July 2018 on the then head of the city Elmar Veliyev.

The protesters were angered by reports of tortures against Safarov and the authorities' inaction against the head of the city, who constantly insulted Ganja residents.

The protest action turned into riots and two police officers were killed during the clashes. As a result, dozens of believers were detained, who denied involvement in the violence and testified against themselves under torture.

Kyamal Guliyev was charged under Articles 220.1 (mass riots) and 315.2 (violence against police) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.

On 22 February 2019, the Ganja Court for Serious Crimes sentenced him to 8 years and 6 months of imprisonment. In August 2019, Guliyev and three other participants in these events were pardoned.

In 2022, Guliyev and a number of other former Ganja Case defendants - Shahin Verdiyev, Alim Yusifov, Araz Hasanov, Mireshgin Seyidov, Yavar Ismailzadeh and Elvin Nazarov - were arrested again on charges of drug offences.

Ismailzadeh and Guliyev were sentenced to 5 years and 6 months, while Verdiyev was sentenced to 3 years and 6 months. The trial of Seyidov, Hasanov and Nazarov is ongoing.