Prosecution again called for a 10-year sentence for ex-MP

On Thursday, the trial of former deputy and entrepreneur Huseyn Abdullayev continued at the Baku Serious Crimes Court, chaired by Azer Tagiev. On January 30, it was announced that the judicial investigation had been updated due to Abdullayev's appeals to President Ilham Aliyev and the country's Prosecutor General. However, the appeals did not help, and the prosecutor reiterated the indictment, once again requesting a 10-year prison sentence for Abdullayev.

The defense requested time for a final statement, and the process was postponed until February 13. In his appeal to the president, Abdullayev requested assistance for his release due to his poor health and the condition of his elderly mother. According to lawyer Gunay Ismayilova, Abdullayev suffers from severe hypertension and heart problems. He is not receiving adequate medical care in detention, and there is a risk of a severe heart attack. For this reason, Abdullayev has been participating in the trial via video link from the pretrial detention center for a long time.

*Huseyn Abdullayev held leading positions in the oil products business in the 1990s. His groups of thugs were involved in dispersing opposition protests.  In 2013, he emigrated from Azerbaijan to Europe. After some time, a criminal case was initiated against him for tax evasion. On April 22, 2018, Abdullayev was arrested in Türkiye and extradited to Azerbaijan. He was charged with illegal entrepreneurship, fraud, and extortion and sentenced to 6 years in prison. 47 days before completing his sentence, new charges were brought against him for money laundering (Article 193-1.3.2 of the Criminal Code). Specifically, he is accused of laundering 6 million manat between 2006 and 2014, although the investigation had already covered his actions from 2000 to 2018. Abdullayev denied the charges.