![Step of Prosecutor General"s Office in Respect of Colonel Sadykhov Politically Motivated](https://turan.az/resized/media/2013/main/062000040180-750-500-resize.webp)
The Military Prosecutor's Office of Azerbaijan has announced an international arrest warrant of former Deputy Defense Minister of the country, now a political emigrant, retired Colonel Isa Sadykhov in connection with the criminal case filed 20 years ago, suspended in 2001, and again renewed in the past year.
According to the commentary of the Military Prosecutor's Office in response to a request for media, Sadykhov was convicted January 23, 1996 to three years in prison on item "A" of Article 244 (Evasion of military service by self-harm or otherwise) of the former Criminal Code (in force until September 1, 2000) of Azerbaijan.
At the same time, with respect to Sadykhov, he is under investigation in a criminal case under Article 255 point "B" (abuse of power, or failure to perform duty) of the old Criminal Code brought by the military prosecutor of the Gazakh Garrison on February 25, 1993. This case was suspended on December 1, 2001 and was reopened on April 14, 2012, and the charge was reclassified to Article 341.3 of a new Criminal Code (abuse of power).
It does not explain what prompted the prosecutor's office to resume the criminal case 11 years later, especially since Sadykhov in the early 2000s left the country and was granted the status of political refugee and the chance to bring him to justice is zero.
Sadykhov has not yet become available for comment.
Military expert Azad Isazadeh, commenting on the reasons for the prosecution of Sadykhov in the mid-1990s for Turan, recalled that the colonel was the head of a military unit in the West direction.
In 1995, after Abiyev became Defense Minister, Sadykhov was appointed Deputy on the front.
But soon Sadykhov was released from his post and sent a deputy to a lower position. "The fact is that if an officer is removed from office and has no penalties, he must be translated into an equivalent position. Otherwise, the officer has the right to resign. Sadykhov did just that. However, it was illegally incriminated as evasion of military service and he was convicted. It is not in vain that Sadykhov was recognized "a prisoner of conscience," said Isazadeh.
In his view, likely motive to arrest Sadykhov was that in March 1995, during the rebellion of the special police force (OPON), he did not use force against the local unit of OPON in Gazakh. Sadykhov peacefully solved the problem of the release of captured police facilities, and allowed the rioters to disperse.
Perhaps Sadykhov was considered unreliable given the fact that at the time of the June 1993 uprising by Surat Huseynov, he remained loyal to the government of Elchibey.
Sadykhov performed the task of disarmament of the rebels, but was arrested by them. However he escaped from prison and subsequently did not allow the rebels to move from Ganja to the west of the country.
In turn, the former Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Panah Hussein does not remember that any criminal case was filed against sadykhov on February 25, 1993.
"Isa Sadykhov was then the commander of a brigade, and then was promoted to the position and was appointed commander of the corps," said Hussein.
He did not rule out that perhaps the case was brought by some fact to expose Sadykhov as guilty.
Isazadeh notes that Sadykhov was one of the most talented military leaders of the time and one of the brave and honest officers. He was one of the few officers who brought his family to the frontline zone, and it was a sign that he was not going to back down.
Independent observers agree that the ad of wanting Sadykhov takes into account his political support for the National Council of the democratic forces. He recently visited Russia, Turkey, and announced his intention to return to Azerbaijan. Note that Sadyhov was granted political asylum in Norway, but did not give up Azerbaijani citizenship. Sadykhov's status protects him from extradition to Azerbaijan. -06B-
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