Closed Trial on Mirkadyrov Aims to Conceal Illegitimacy of Investigation (UPDATED-VIDEO)

The preparatory hearing on the case of the journalist Rauf Mirkadyrov showed that the court did not intend to carry out the trial in an atmosphere of openness. Turan was told by the journalist's lawyer Fuad Agayev.

He considers false the arguments of the prosecution and the court on the alleged need to close the process in order to protect state secrets.

In this case, there is no information protected by the stamp of secrecy or particularly important state secrets, said the lawyer. In his view, the criminal case is based on false accusations.

According to Agayev, the purpose of the closed trial is to hide activities of the prosecution and several employees of MNS against the interests of Azerbaijan.

The lawyer Fuad Agayev also requested to summon additional witnesses Laura Baghdasaryan and David Shahnazaryan, who allegedly recruited Mirkadyrov.

However, the court rejected the application on the pretext that the protection did not show the address of these individuals. As explained by the lawyer, according to the Minsk Convention of 1993, the country making a request should reveal the addresses of the requested persons itself.

Call of Baghdasaryan and Shahnazaryan to trial, according to the defense, is needed in terms of figuring out on what grounds the investigation claims that they recruited Mirkadyrov.

The defense also proposes to exclude from the case a number of inadmissible evidence. Thus, the investigation states that a citizen of Armenia Samvel passed some discs to two passers-by from Azerbaijan in Georgia. Firstly, the content of the discs is nothing condemning Mirkadyrov. Second, they do not specify the identity of this Samvel. Without identifying the source of the evidence, it cannot be considered valid and shall be excluded from the case.

The lawyer also reported problems with Mirkadyrov’s health.

Next steps of the defense will be determined after consultations with Mirkadyrov. -06B-

2015 November 04 (Wednesday) 17:49:35

The trial of the journalist Rauf Mirkadyrov is to be closed. This decision was taken today at the meeting of the Baku Court of Grave Crimes, which was also semi-closed.

As it became known to Turan, at the trial the lawyer Fuad Agayev put forward several motions.

In particular, the lawyer petitioned for Mirkadyrov’s opportunity to sit next to the defense and change the measure of restraint by house arrest, the termination of criminal proceedings, as well as the summons of a citizen of Armenia Laura Baghdasaryan as an additional witness (Baghdasaryan heads an NGO, which, together with the Institute for Peace and Democracy implemented peace projects, and in which Mirkadyrov took part. The investigation has put forward an absurd accusation of alleged Baghdasaryan - Mirkadyrov espionage in favor of Armenia).

The lawyer also pointed out the groundlessness of delaying the investigation for 1.5 years in the criminal case consisting of two volumes. Agayev noted the violation of Mirkadyrov’s rights on Article 10 (freedom of expression) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.

Prosecutor Mubariz Miriyev insisted on conducting the process in closed session in connection with the issues related to state secrets, as he believes.

All the defense motions were rejected and the trial was scheduled for November 18.

The Chief Editor of the newspaper Zerkalo Elchin Shikhli told reporters the criminal case against Mirkadyrov was a fake and the journalist was innocent.

The head of the party Musavat Arif Hajili called Mirkadyrov a political prisoner.

Recall that Mirkadyrov was arrested April 19, 2014 immediately after the deportation from Turkey. The journalist was charged under article 274 (high treason) of the Criminal Code. He is accused of participating in the projects of the Institute for Peace and Democracy in cooperation with civil society in Armenia and transfer of information that is state secrets within these actions.

The journalist denies the charges. Human rights activists consider him a political prisoner. -16B-

2015 November 04 (Wednesday) 15:27:47

The Court of Grave Crimes on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Alisultan Osmanov started preparatory meeting on the case of journalist Rauf Mirkadyrov accused of espionage in favor of Armenia.

Members of the public and independent media were not allowed to the meeting. An exception was made only for the correspondent of the newspaper Azadlig, diplomats of some Western embassies and close relatives of the journalist.

Like all political processes, the power filled the room with the Prison Service staff, bailiffs and dummies.

Recall that Mirkadyrov was arrested April 19, 2014 immediately after the deportation from Turkey. The journalist was charged under article 274 (high treason) of the Criminal Code. He is accused of participating in the projects of the Institute for Peace and Democracy in cooperation with civil society in Armenia and transfer of information that is state secret.

The journalist denies the charges. Human rights activists consider him a political prisoner. -16B-