Court of appeal leaves photo-blogger under arrest

Baku/11.02.23/Turan: A complaint against the administrative arrest of photo-blogger Veli Shukurov was considered at the Baku Court of Appeal on 10 February.

To remind, he was detained in the evening of February 4 and the next day by the decision of Yasamal district court was arrested for 30 days under Article 510 (disorderly conduct) and Article 535.1 (disobeying police) of the Code of Administrative Offences.

The defence said that Shukurov's arrest was unlawful.

At that, lawyer Zibeyda Sadigova told journalists that the administrative case alleges that Shukurov "did not behave adequately in the street", and when a police officer approached him, he allegedly "disobeyed" and "ran away".

"Veli Shukurov was detained in the courtyard of the house where he lives. However, the police report indicates that he was detained at another location.  We requested to see the CCTV footage in the courtyard of the house where Shukurov lives. There are also cameras in the place where police say Shukurov was detained. A review of the camera recordings would show that at the time and place indicated in the police report, Shukurov was not there," Sadygova said.

She also pointed out that she was not given an opportunity to take part in the trial of Shukurov in Yasamal district on 5 February.

The lawyer was informed late about the trial time, so she did not make it to the session.

During the trial, she said, Shukurov protested against the fact that in the first instance court ruling it was written that he had allegedly "repented of the offences he had committed".

"However, of interest is the fact that the court, while stating in its ruling that Shukurov 'repented of the offence' did not take this into account as a mitigating circumstance and gave him the maximum punishment," the lawyer said.

The court of appeal rejected all defence motions and eventually dismissed the complaint itself.

It should be remembered that the court of appeal is the highest instance of appeal in administrative cases. However, the photo-blogger may turn to the European Court of Human Rights in the future.

Earlier, the wife of the photo-blogger Aytaj Alyanur said that on the morning of February 4, Shukurov was summoned to the Binagadi police before being detained. While at the police station, Shukurov was questioned about a police officer from whom he obtained information about a car owned by a certain official three years ago.

The photo-blogger's colleagues believe that this was the real reason for Shukurov's arrest.

Earlier, the press service of the Interior Ministry rejected claims that there were other motives in the persecution of Shukurov, other than the offence he had committed.-06В-