Nazim Beydemirli does not consider himself political prisoner

The Baku Court for Serious Crimes held a preparatory hearing on 29 April in the case of former MP and businessman Nazim Beydemirli, accused of extortion by threats.

During the hearing, Beydemirli's lawyer Agyl Layidj stated that his client's arrest was ‘politically motivated’.

According to him, both Articles of the Criminal Code: 182.2.4 (extortion by threats with the purpose of taking property) and 182.2.2 (extortion by threats, committed repeatedly) have neither the object nor the event of the offence.

Even more, the second Article incriminates Beydemirli with an act committed in 1996, moreover, in the Russian Federation. The statute of limitations on this Article has already passed. On the other hand, there was no criminal case against Beydemirli in Russia.

The lawyer asked the court to terminate the criminal case or change the preventive measure and release Beydemirli from custody.

Although Beydemirli did not plead guilty, he stated that he was not a political prisoner. Nonetheless, he noted that ‘perhaps’ he was arrested in connection with the events in Gedabay last summer. (It's about the unrest in the village of Soyudlu against environmental pollution by a gold mining company).

The court, after deliberation, did not grant any of the motions and set the hearing on the merits for 13 May.

*Н. Beydemirli was detained on 4 July 2023 by the Department for Combating Organised Crime of the Interior Ministry on charges of violating Article 182.2.4 (Extortion by threatening to take property) of the Criminal Code.

The next day, the court arrested him for 4 months. Beydemirli rejected the charge and called it fabricated. According to him, the real reason for his arrest was his support for protests of residents of Soyudlu village of Gedabey region against environmental pollution.

On 1 September another charge was brought against Beydemirli - violation of Article 182.2.2 (extortion by threats, committed repeatedly) of the Criminal Code. According to the lawyer, this charge is based on the fact that allegedly in 1996 in the city of Lipetsk in the Russian Federation Beydemirli extorted money from someone. Human rights activists recognised Beydemirli as a political prisoner.