Court Refuses to Re-investigate Elina Hajiyeva’s Death

Baku / 20.12.19 / Turan: On December 20, the Baku Court of Appeal chaired by Kamran Akperov held a preliminary hearing on the death of Elina Hajiyeva, a student of the 8th grade of Baku school number 162.

Lawyers for the family of the deceased petitioned to review the complaint with a second trial. However, the court did not grant the request. The hearing is essentially scheduled for January 8, 2020.

* On April 4, 2019, a school student Elina Hajiyeva jumped from the third floor of the school. A criminal case was filed under Article 125 (suicide) of the Criminal Code.

Subsequently, the director of the school, Sevinj Abbasova, was brought to justice. She was charged under articles 143 (leaving in danger) and 314.2 (negligence, which resulted in the death of the victim) of the Criminal Code. However, under article 125 (suicide), no one was held accountable.

On October 24, the court found Abbasova guilty and sentenced her to 2 years, 2 months, and 14 days of restraint of liberty. She is forbidden to leave Baku and change her place of residence.

In addition, the court partially satisfied the civil lawsuit against Abbasova, obliging her to pay the injured party 8,500 manats to pay for the services of lawyers and 10,000 manats for moral damage.

A lawsuit against the Ministry of Education in the amount of 100,000 manat was rejected. The injured party found the verdict unfair, and in particular, excessively lenient with respect to the headmaster, who remained at large.   —30C-