MNS present Laura Bagdasaryan as an Armenian resident

Fuad Agayev, a  lawyer of  Rauf Mirkadirov, an arrested columnist  of "Mirror" newspaper, told at a briefing on April 21 that his client refused to testify investigation.

"Mirkadyrov believes the allegations against him  are baseless and refuses to testify,"  said the lawyer. He further reminded that  he has been living in Turley for more than three years; on April 9  Mirkadirov was told that he and his wife’s accreditation  were liquidated. Not any explanation was given. It happened  two or three days after  the Premier Erdogan returned from Baku. "Therefore, the journalist does not exclude that his expulsion was agreed with the authorities in Baku," Agayev said.

At night on April 19  he was leaving Ankara by bus with his wife; on the way he was detained and taken to the police. Mirkadirov demanded a lawyer, but  was not provide with lawyer.

Turkish authorities illegally extradited Mirkadirov, as he had a right to  stay there for several days. In fact, he was illegally arrested and deported , said the lawyer. Mirkadyrov considers  charges against him unfounded. The investigation  accuses Mirkadirov  of transmission  to Armenian special services  the information about the capabilities and deployment of the armed forces of Azerbaijan. It allegedly took place during three events in Armenia in 2008-09.

Agayev noted that the talk was about international conferences.

 Mirkadyrov could not have information relating to state secrets, but the lawyer does not exclude that the investigation may have some photos or videos where Mirkadyrov was sitting at the same table with the Armenian representatives. However,  it is unserious to persecute  the  well-known journalists on similar grounds, the lawyer said.

The investigation alleges that the  Mirkadyrov passed information to Laura Bagdasaryan, who is presented as a representative of the Armenian secret services. Bagdasaryan as a representative of civil society in Armenia, since 2001, is involved   in a joint project with the Institute of Peace and Democracy in Azerbaijan , and  since 2005 they have  released a joint publication.

Agayev believes that mentioning the name  of Bagdasaryan suggests that , not only Mirkadyrov, but some other politicians and civil society activists will be persecuted.

Agayev said accusations against Mirkadirov are  ridiculous . "Probably the Armenian secret services  feel happy because  the authorities have arrested a journalist  who for many years proved the groundlessness of Armenian claims to Nagorno-Karabakh," said Agayev. -06В-

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