Lawyers for Hilal Mamedov, editor of "Tolyshi sado", have found themselves in a delicate situation. On the one hand, in protest against a closed trial, Mamedov demanded that they not to participate in the trial. On the other hand, the judge filed a complaint to the Bar Association due to their participation in the last meeting. Speaking at a press conference today, lawyer Anar Gasimli called on journalists and human rights defenders to ask the Bar Board for clarification. Usually in such cases, the basis is the will of the accused. Gasimli called on journalists and human rights activists to ensure Mamedov receives constant public attention.
Lawyer Khalid Bagirov said that if Mamedov’s trial is closed to the public, he intends to publish the case materials. "I have this right, because I did not give the sign not to disclose confidentiality. If the process is closed, I will not go to court hearings, and instead I will hold press conferences," Bagirov said.
He called the conclusions of experts ‘inconsistent’, since they view Mamedov’s 2009 article as inciting ethnic hatred. Lawyer Ramiz Mamedov called the allegations absurd, because they were copied from other criminal cases, and are based on the testimony of a mentally ill person.
Arzu Abdullayeva, Co-Chair of the Committee to protect the rights of human editor, said that if Mamedov’s trial were closed, the public would picket in front of the court. The next hearing on this case will be held on February 6.
Hilal Mamedov was arrested on June 21, 2012 and charged with treason, drug possession, inciting religious and ethnic hatred. If Mamedov is convicted, he may be imprisoned for 15 years. International human rights organizations consider Hilal Mamedov to be a prisoner of conscience.—16C--
Politics
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Armenia is not against the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group, but does not consider it appropriate to discuss this issue now. "In the context of peace, we consider it possible to make a decision on the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group. When peace is an established fact, the existence of such a format may raise questions," Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at a press conference today. "The whole question is about the timing, we need to understand how effectively and correctly to turn such topics into a subject of discussion right now," the Armenian Prime Minister added.
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He expressed his willingness to meet with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at the border between the two countries. "A meeting with Ilham Aliyev could take place at the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. I am open to such a format," Pashinyan said at a press conference today. According to Pashinyan, Armenia recently presented another proposal for a peace treaty to Azerbaijan.
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On August 31, Azerbaijan observes a "day of silence" before the Sunday’s early parliamentary elections for the unicameral Milli Majlis. All electoral campaigning is prohibited 24 hours before the voting. The early elections were initiated by the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan Party. This decision was motivated by the overlap of the scheduled elections in November with the global UN forum - the COP20 climate conference taking place in Baku.
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On August 30, at approximately 22:55, the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant in Metsamor was disconnected from the country's power grid, as reported by the Armenian Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure. The shutdown was caused by a lightning strike, which triggered the plant's safety systems to switch the station to a safe shutdown mode. Currently, the plant's staff is working on restarting the facility.
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