Igbal Abilov's father denied his connections with the Armenian intelligence services

Talysh researcher Igbal Abilov is accused of high treason by carrying out orders from the Armenian secret services. This is stated in reports from a number of media outlets in Azerbaijan with reference to a hearing in the Sabail District Court, which the day before arrested Abilov  for 4 months.

Local media  notes that Abilov was detained “as a result of special operational measures carried out by the State Security Service (SSS) of Azerbaijan.”

He is charged with “high treason by carrying out tasks of representatives of the Armenian special services on the territory of a third country” and, under their control, “committing actions aimed at inciting hatred and enmity on ethnic grounds in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan.”

It is alleged that during the trial, along with other evidence, “secret negotiations and transactions conducted by Igbal Abilov via SKYPE with the head of the Department of Oriental Studies at Yerevan State University and the director of the Institute of Oriental Studies operating in Armenia Garnik Asatryan, who is conducting targeted work against the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, were made under the control of the Armenian special services."

According to the same sources, the investigation had “reasonable suspicions of Abilov’s organization together with representatives of foreign intelligence services by attracting subversive forces from different countries, activities of the so-called organization against the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, as well as assistance to Vardan Voskanyan and other persons associated with the Armenian intelligence services, in carrying out hostile activities against Azerbaijan.”

Abilov was charged under Articles 274 (high treason), 281.3 (public calls against the state, committed on the instructions of foreign organizations or their representatives) and 283.1 (incitement of national, racial, social or religious hatred and enmity) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan, reads the articles in Azeri media.

However the State Security Service has not officially commented on Abilov’s case.

It should be noted that court cases on the selection of a preventive measure are conducted behind closed doors without the participation of journalists and relatives.

In turn, Igbal Abilov’s father called the allegations that his son collaborated with the Armenian intelligence services a lie. According to him, I. Abilov really communicated with Garnik Asatryan, but these were exclusively scientific connections. “This was a communication between two orientalists,” emphasized Shahin Abilov.

He expressed surprise at how materials from a closed trial ended up in the media.

“We  are prohibited from talking about the content of the criminal case and what is happening in court, while the media gets information, distorted facts about the charges against my son. We regard this as an attempt to mislead the public and justify the arrest of my son,” said Sh. Abilov.