Two believers sentenced to 4.5 years in prison (UPDATED)

Today at Baku Sabail District Court a verdict was read on two believers, Bakhtiyar Gurbanov and Royal Askerov. They were found guilty under Article 186 (intentional destruction of property) and sentenced to 4.5 years in prison.

According to the investigation, they tried to set fire to the building of the Baku Mayor's Office on April 2nd in protest against the arrest of a theologian Taleh Baghirzadeh. However, no evidence for this “crime" was ever presented. Lawyers reported the inconsistency of the allegations and intend to appeal. -1606D -

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2013 October 29 (Tuesday) 12:37:08

For four believers arrested Oct. 28 at the trial of the theologian Taleh Baghirzadeh, a criminal case was filed under Article 315.2 (providing resistance to the police by use of force). Turan was reported in the Sabunchu district prosecutor's office.

However, a preventive measure against these individuals, whose names the prosecutor's office did not name, has not yet been established.

In turn, the lawyer Javaad Javaadov told Turan he believes the detainees did not resist the police, but they themselves were ill-treated. The believers came to the court to oversee the process and the lawyer believes that a planned provocation was made against them.

Earlier, the Committee to Protect Islamists declared the detention of 20 believers.

Today it is known that most of them were released after paying fines of 50 to 800 manats.

However, three believers, Musarza Heydarzadeh, Abbas Huseynov and Naeel (the last name is unknown) remained in custody. -16/03D-