Details of the trial in the case of Mehman Huseynov (UPDATED)

Today the trial in the blogger, the  head of the Institute for Reporters Freedom and Safety (IRFS) Mehman Huseynov was held at an accelerated pace. The meeting started at 10:30 and ended with two breaks in less than three hours. At the same time, the defense was not given time to prepare. At the beginning of the sitting   the judge of Surakhani Court Jeyhun Gadimov said: "According to the evidence presented to us you are Mehman Huseynov. Do you confirms this? ". Huseynov said: "I have no passport, no identity, no metrics. My name and details have been removed from the system. Therefore, even hospitals do not accept me," said the blogger. Judge Huseynov in response advised to complain to the administrative-economic court.

The lawyer of the plaintiff Alirza Abilov said that the approval of the blogger Huseynov that he was tortured by the police was not confirmed in the course of the investigation the prosecutor's office in Baku. Huseynov, in turn, said that the lawsuit and the criminal case against him is the order of the authorities, and he is being persecuted for his journalistic activities.

He rejected the accusations of defamation to the police and pleaded not guilty. "In fact, slander is that against me was brought a claim as a private criminal prosecution. I told only 10% of what they did me in the police office. If I told the rest, they would accuse me of conspiracy," said the blogger. He said that they were following him since December 2016. "They wanted to catch me, but I managed to run away , and did not leave the house until  January 5. On January 9, as soon as I  distanced  20 meters from my friends, I was attacked and it was in front of 30-40 passers-by. Then I learned that the operation was led by the deputy chief of the Baku police. I was knocked to the pavement, and sprinkled something on my leg  to make it numb.  "They put a bag on my head, tied my hands, and feet and put me in the car. We drove for an hour. At the same time, a man was sitting on me. One said that it is necessary to go to "bandit department", another called another police agency. Finally they brought in a room.  For an hour and a half I sat alone, beaten and insulted. Finally, I opened my eyes and recognized a district police inspector Kengerli. He used to torture my brother Emin Huseynov. The second policeman, who was a bit taller, repeatedly hit me in my face.

I fainted, they splashed water on me, and I woke up. I was openly told that I was detained for my blogger activity, reports and statuses on social networks. Then they again put a bag on my head, and took me to another location. There again they tied my hands, a man sat on me, and others were shooting pictures and videos, and said that the spread of the Internet. There also I was beaten and taken to the "chief" room. There I lost consciousness again and they called an ambulance. The doctors said that I should be in a hospital, but the police did not allow. Doctors made me two injections. I fell asleep, I remember that I kept for your fingers and something signed. In the morning at 11 o'clock I was taken to the Nasimi Court, and the trial began only at 16.00; and I was fined AZN 200, allegedly for no police subordination," said Huseynov. He asked the court to request a video from surveillance cameras in Nasimi police. The judge asked him what color was the bag which that been put on his head? "I said that I did not see the  bag because my eyes were closed," said the blogger.

Lawyer Elchin Sadigov petitioned for the examination of witnesses - Ulvi Hasanli, Elchin Sharifov, Massoud Asker and Samir Asadli, who were the last who saw a blogger  in freedom, to summon to the court of the plaintiff - chief of Nasimi Police Musa Musayev, the district Kangarli, the deputy head of CID Baku police request video cameras, where Huseynov was detained and protocols on the detention and administrative offense. Lawyer of Abilov plaintiff opposed the petitions and demanded condemn Huseynov to three years in prison. Privacy requested a week to prepare for the final speech. However, the judge gave a total of 30 minutes, but 10 minutes later he returned and asked the judge to immediately speak to a lawyer and a closing speech Huseynov. After another five minutes, the judge announced the verdict and sentenced Huseynov to two years in prison.  -06D-

2017 March 03 (Friday) 13:23:26

The verdict on the blogger Mehman Huseynov is illegal, the lawyer Elchin Sadigov said.

“The court has violated the adversarial principle. The Court did not cause the private prosecutor to come and did not satisfy any of the defense motions. Asked to give a week to prepare for the final speech of the defense, the judge did not give even 30 minutes, demanding immediate action.

The sentence was announced 5 minutes after the last speech of Mehman Huseynov,” Sadigov said.

The court found Huseynov guilty under article 147.2 (slander to commit grave crime) and sentenced the blogger to 2 years in prison.

“Mehman Huseynov maintains good spirits, because he knew he would be arrested,” said the lawyer, adding that the verdict will be appealed. -03D-

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The Surakhani district court sentenced the well-known blogger, head of the Institute for Reporters Freedom and Safety Mehman Huseynov to 2 years' imprisonment on the lawsuit of the police chief of the Nasimi district, Musa Musayev.

The court found defamation in Huseynov’s statement saying that on January 9 he was abducted and tortured by police officers.

The court did not allow the defense to prepare for the final speech. -03C-