The term of the arrest of the journalist Rauf Mirkadyrov expired on 19 November, and currently he is kept in custody illegally, said the lawyer Elmar Suleymanov.
Mirkadyrov was arrested on 19 April, and from at that time started the period of his detention. Two days later, the court arrested him for three months, which was extended in July for another four months.
The arrest term expired, and there was not new decision on the extend of the arrest term; therefore, a journalist should be released. However, this was not followed.
In this regard, on 20 November the lawyers and Elmar Suleymanov and Fuad Agayev sent a telegram to the Prosecutor General, his first deputy, the Minister of Justice, head of the National Security Ministry (NSM), the Ombudsman, and the head of the detention center of the NSM.
Receiving no answer, though all telegrams reached the addressees, at 15:30 lawyers arrived at the detention center of the NSM. However, the attendant refused to allow them to the head of jail, saying that he was out.
When the lawyers asked for a meeting with journalists, then they were told that Mirkadirov was visiting a doctor, and asked to wait. As the lawyers could not wait too long they asked the attendant for a meeting with client. They were denied again, and at 18:00 they were offered to leave the jail. Suleymanov regarded all this as a serious violation of the Constitution and laws of Azerbaijan.
Counsel also expressed fears that pressure is put on Mirkadyrov to make him sign any documents in order to justify his detention without trial.
Lawyer Fuad Agayev announced in his publication on Facebook a gross violation of Mirkadirov’s rights to liberty and protection, and demanded his immediate release.—06D-
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