Preparatory meeting on the case of Rufat and Rovshan Zahidovs completed today in the Baku Grave Crimes Court chaired by Eldar Mikailov. Hearings in the case are scheduled for 14:00 on 26 February.
Rufat Zahidov is the nephew of Ganimat Zahid, the chief editor of "Azadlig" newspaper and the head of the "Azerbaijani hour" program, broadcast by satellite.
Rovshan Zahidov is a cousin of the chief editor. Both were arrested in July 2014 administratively, but later they were accused of large-scale drug trafficking by group (Article 234.4.1 and 234.4.3). They face from 5 to 12 years in prison.
At the preparatory meeting, the lawyer Tahir Hanaliev said that both defendants are persecuted because of journalistic activity of Ganimat Zahid, who is in political emigration in France. This is done to get him to stop criticizing the government.
"On 20July, 2015 Rovshan Zahidov was summoned from the village to the city of Shamakhi police, and was asked whether he is a relative of Ganimat Zahid? After confirmation he was detained. A few hours later the police chief Habil Amiraslanov demanded to sign a confession that he was engaged in drug trafficking. Otherwise he threatened to arrest other family members.
The court sentenced him to 25 days of arrest on charges of disobeying police. Rovshan Zahidov was kept in solitary confinement, without giving meetings with family members. Later he was taken to Baku, where he was subjected to physical pressure," continued the lawyer.
The lawyer petitioned to exclude from the case the evidence of Rovshan Zahidov in Shamakhi and Sabail Police, change the preventive measure, an invitation to the witnesses and the chief of police of Shamakhi.
The defender also asked for a court investigation of illegal decision about a search in the house of Rovshan Zahidov, the refusal to communicate with his family during the period of administrative detention, and tightened by more than 16 days on appeal for the arrest. The prosecutor opposed the motion to change the measure of restraint, and the judge suggested to consider others in the course of the trial. The court scheduled a hearing on the merits on 26 February. -03C06-
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