J. Hajiyev’s Lawyer Appeals to President of Azerbaijan

Baku / 07.05.20 / Turan: The lawyer of the former head of the board of the International Bank of Azerbaijan (IBA) Jahangir Hajiyev, Fakhraddin Mehdiyev, appealed to the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, with a request to mitigate the punishment of his client in connection with the deterioration of his health.

In the appeal, the lawyer notes that Hajiyev has been suffering from Hashimoto’s Syndrome for a long time. Prior to his arrest in 2015, Hajiyev received continuous outpatient treatment for this disease under the supervision of doctors. After the arrest, the former banker was deprived of treatment. He just uses drugs that are transferred from home.

However, the disease is chronic in nature, and therefore Hajiyev needs regular comprehensive treatment.

Due to the special quarantine regime imposed in connection with the coronavirus pandemic, Hajiyev was completely isolated. On the other hand, an increase in drugs taken by Hajiyev led to an exacerbation of the disease, and also gave rise to signs of heart failure.

“The real threat of Jahangir Hajiyev’s illness causing grave consequences for his health bothers me as a defender. In this regard, I am asking you to mitigate his punishment,” the lawyer Mehdiyev’s address to the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev says.

* Hajiyev was arrested on December 5, 2015, and the Baku Serious Crimes Court sentenced him to 15 years in prison. He and seven others were found guilty of abuse, fraud, causing major damage, misappropriation and embezzlement, abuse of power, and bribery.

At the end of December 2018, the Prosecutor General’s Office announced that Hajiyev had been charged with a new case under articles on misappropriation of a large amount of money, legalization of proceeds from crime, tax evasion, etc.

He was charged with concluding purchase and sale transactions of bills of exchange totaling $ 3.4 billion and 987 million euros, but not having the real value. Hajiyev denied the charge.

In September 2019, the court added Hajiyev another one and a half years in prison.

However, in February 2020, the Baku Court of Appeal reduced the term by 3 months in connection with the mitigation of the punishment in the legislation under articles: 179.3 (large-scale misappropriation) and 308.2 (abuse of power) of the Criminal Code. –06B-