Police Reject Version of Deliberate Collision of Ogtay Gyulalyev

Baku / 01.11.19 / Turan: The Baku Central Police Department and the Baku city prosecutor’s office resolutely reject the allegations of the intentional hitting of a car on the human rights activist Ogtay Gyulalyev.

The security forces claim that there was no deliberate attempt on the activist, that the driver of the car, Kenan Abdullayev, was in fact a taxi driver, that his route on the day of the accident did not coincide with the route of Ogtay Gyulalyev, and that they were not personally acquainted.

About 2 hours before the incident, in connection with professional duties, Abdullayev, together with clients - a person of "Arab nationality" and his translator, traveled to the Yanardag complex. Having returned to the city, the driver dropped them off on May 28 Street near the scene of the incident. Then he went to pick up his neighbor’s child on Nizami Street, which he took away daily at that time.

Law enforcers assure that "the accident occurred through negligence", and completely exclude that "the car intentionally knocked Gyulalyev down."

In the criminal case, all the necessary operational-search measures are being conducted. After receiving the results of forensic road transport and forensic medical examinations, the driver’s actions will be given a legal assessment.

At the same time, the police still have not made public footage of the car moving along May 28 Street, showing only a short fragment when the car turns off at the traffic lights.

It is not clear why the criminal case was launched under the article on “violation of the rules for operating vehicles with inflicting less serious damage to health”, although Gyulalyev suffered serious life-threatening injuries. It is also not clear in what capacity the driver is held accountable.     -06D-