Court Refuses to Transfer Rahim Gaziyev to House Arrest

Baku 14.08.20 / Turan: The Sabail District Court of Baku considered a petition to transfer ex-Defense Minister Rahim Gaziyev to house arrest the day before.

According to Rahim Gaziyev’s relatives, the defense petitioned to change the measure of restraint due to the advanced age of the 78-year-old accused, his health problems, and lack of intentions to evade the investigation.

 The ex-minister in court declared his innocence. The court, however, did not grant the request.

 Azerbaijani State Security Service officers detained the country's former Defense Minister Rahim Gaziyev on July 13. As stated in a joint report by the State Security Service and the Prosecutor General's Office, there were reasonable suspicions that Gaziyev “purposefully” disseminated in social networks untrue information about the hostilities on July 12-13 on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.

Thus, he committed "actions aimed at weakening the defense capability of Azerbaijan."

In addition, Gaziyev is charged with calls for "riots and the violent seizure of state power."

Gaziyev was charged under Articles 281 (public appeals against the state) and 282 (sabotage) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, under which he could face up to 15 years in prison.

Rahim Gaziyev was the Minister of Defense of Azerbaijan from 1992 to 1993. In autumn 1993, he was arrested in connection with the occupation of the cities of Shusha and Lachin by Armenian troops.

In September 1994, Gaziyev escaped from the isolation ward and hid in Russia until 1996. In 1995, he was sentenced in absentia to death, later commuted to life in prison. In 1996, Gaziyev was extradited to Azerbaijan. He was released after a pardon in 2005.    — 06D-