At Trial of Journalist Elchin Hasanov

At the trial of the journalist and activist Elchin Hasanov accused of hooliganism in the Nizami District Court, the lawyer Fariz Namazly made a closing speech.

At the meeting of May 13, the prosecutor asked to sentence Hasanov to 3.5 years in prison. Today, the lawyer Fariz Namazly in his concluding remarks called on the court to stop the prosecution and acquit Hasanov.

He reiterated that in fact there were no witnesses to the incident.

The victim said in court he had no claim to him. The investigation did not establish the "crime tool" allegedly used by Hasanov.

The lawyer said he was convinced that the real reason for the prosecution is Hasanov’s journalistic work and civic engagement. Hasanov had previously been subjected to various forms of pressure, including police detention.

Contrary to expectations, the judge did not give the floor to Hasanov and hastily concluded the session by postponing the hearing on 25 May. Hasanov is under house arrest. He was also taken a signed commitment not to divulge the investigation materials.

Hasanov said he is being persecuted for his journalistic and opposition activities. He is the deputy editor of the Sumgait Internet newspaper Yukselish Namine (yukselis.info) https://www.facebook.com/Elcin.Hasanov?fref=ts.

In addition, he is a member of the Supreme Majlis of PFPA and deputy head of the NGO Legal Education of Sumgait Youth. The start of a criminal case against Hasanov coincided with his publications on the topic of corruption and embezzlement in the army.

* The criminal case is related to an incident a year ago when Hasanov was attacked by the former head of the agency Asia Jafar Jafarov, who is currently under investigation on charges of extortion.

After the incident, Hasanov appealed to the police and after some time Jafarov was arrested by the General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime not on the complaint from Hasanov, but in connection with facts of extortion.

However, in March of this year on this fact against the very Hasanov a criminal case was filed under Article 221.1 (hooliganism) of the Criminal Code. After Hasanov informed the press about it, the charges of hooliganism were changed to a harder article 221.3 (hooliganism with the use of bladed weapons). -06B-