Court of Appeal Keeps Polad Aslanov in Custody

Baku / 14.10.19 / Turan: On October 14, the Baku Court of Appeal dismissed a complaint about the extension of the arrest of the editor of the website xeberman.com Polad Aslanov.

This was reported to Turan by the journalist's wife Gulmira Aslanova.

According to her, the defense intends to take new steps to change the preventive measure and release P. Aslanov from custody.

G. Aslanova noted that her husband had been on a hunger strike since the extension of his arrest on October 5 in protest against this decision and the criminal prosecution as a whole.

He stopped the action on October 10 due to a sharp deterioration in health - a decrease in blood pressure.

"Polad has cardiovascular disease. After the hunger strike, his health deteriorated even more," G. Aslanova said. She emphasized that her husband did not plead guilty.

The lawyer Osman Kazimov told reporters after the court session that the investigation did not present reasonable arguments for keeping P. Aslanov in custody and extending the investigation. "Aslanov does not plead guilty," the lawyer said.

He also tends to conclude that Aslanov became a victim of his professional activities.

Recall that the editor of the website xeberman.com Polad Aslanov was detained on June 12, and the next day the court arrested him for 4 months. He is charged under Art. 274 (treason) of the Criminal Code. The investigation is conducted by the State Security Service. On October 5, the period of the journalist's arrest was extended for another 4 months.

Local and international organizations condemned the criminal prosecution of Aslanov, believing that the real reason for the arrest of Aslanov was his journalistic activities. -21B06-