Distributor of Video on Athletes Run over by Bus Faces 9 Years in Prison

The trial on the case of bus running over the Austrian athletes during the first European Games in Baku in the summer of 2015 finishes.

According to Radio Liberty, at the meeting on June 4 the Court of Grave Crimes Prosecutor Eldar Hamzayev urged to sentence the bus driver Veli Ahmadov to 3 years of imprisonment.

At the same time, he called to sentence the police officer Elchin Hasanov to 7 years, because he spread a video of this incident in social networks.

He also demanded to sentence the Head of the Ministry of Transportation Motor Control Department Huseyn Salamov to 7 years and an employee of the Passenger Transportation Sector of Baku Regional Department for Transport Farid Amiraslanov to 5 years. Note that, except Farid Amiraslanov, all other defendants are in custody.

During the trial, it was noted that the Azerbaijani government’s compensation for damage to the Austrian athlete Vanessa Shahinovich health will be 1 million 200 thousand Euros.

In his testimony in court Huseyn Salamov said driver candidates for the service of the European Games were tested and approved by the Ministry of National Security and the Special Service of Public Sites Protection.

After the first inspection, the name of Veli Ahmadov was deleted, but after re-checking he was returned to the staff of the Games.

In turn, the driver's lawyer said Veli Ahmadov is a refugee and he admits his guilt. The committed act qualifies under Article 263 of the Criminal Code (offense by negligence). Considering that he spent more than a year in detention, the lawyer asked to release him.

As for the police officer, who extended the video, his lawyer called on to justify his client. "Elchin Hasanov has already been punished by the fact that he was dismissed from the police. Allegations that he wanted to compromise the European Games and the prestige of the state are absolutely not justified and groundless," he said. At the next court hearing on June 11 the defense speech will continue.

Recall that on June 11, 2015 in the Town of Athletes the driver of a bus owned by Baku Bus lost control and hit the Austrian synchronized swimming team. As a result, he caused severe injuries to three athletes, Vanessa Shahinovich, Luna Pacer and Venera Vreyt. -03D-