Chovdarov’s compatriots call him an "innocent victim"

More than 100 representatives of the Georgian Azerbaijani intelligentsia oppose the arrest of the  MNS General Akif Chovdarov, accused of committing serious crimes; he is currently  kept in the  Kurdakhani jail. In a letter to the President of Azerbaijan, published on Meydan.TV, they complain that they are  "irritated" with  the publication in the media about Chovdarove. It turns out that Chovdarov’s father was not a butcher, but the director of the school and the farm. Chovdarov, according to the letter, helped in solving the problems of Azerbaijanis in Georgia and urged them to support Ilham Aliyev, said the letter. In conclusion, the authors of the appeal ask  Ilham Aliyev to take the investigation under  his  control  taking into account a number of  "dangerous disease" from which  Chovdarov suffers. The former Head of the National Security Ministry on security in transport and energy, General Chovdarov was arrested last fall.He was charged under  the Articles 308.2 (abuse of power, resulting in serious consequences), 311.3.1 (receiving bribes group of persons by prior agreement or an organized group), 311.3.2 (bribery repeatedly), 311.3.3 ( large scale bribery ), 311.3.4 (bribery using threats), 145.3 (illegal deprivation of liberty,  not related to his abduction), or 145.2 (the same act, if committed against two or more persons, group of persons by prior conspiracy, organized  by a group or a criminal, violent, dangerous to life or health of the victim, with the use of weapons or objects used as weapons). Chovdarov  has a reputation of a  crime boss, his name was mentioned inthe the kidnapping and killing Mahir Abdullayev, the brother of the former Rector of the International University Elshad Abdullayev  chief editor of the magazine "Monitor" Elmar Huseynov, etc. However, no formal charges  were made aginst him. However, a large number of businessmen in the media complained about the arbitrary arrests and torture by Chovdarovw who  extorted money and property. —06D--