Examination in the case of journalist Fikret Faramazoglu

The Baku Court for Serious Crimes in the trial of journalist Fikrat Faramazoglu today granted the defense's request for examination of the signatures attributed to the accused.

According to the lawyer Elchin Sadigov, the materials of the case have a "Protocol on the conduct of an operational search operation and seizure of material evidence". The issue of the withdrawal of 3,000 manats from Faramazoglu, which he allegedly "received through threats". Faramazoglu says that the signature in this protocol is not his. "Therefore, we applied for examination and attribution of signatures," Sadigov said. The court granted this request, but rejected the request to the mobile operator about calls from Faramazoglu's mobile phone.

The court also rejected the application for additional witnesses. Hearings are postponed indefinitely until the signature expertise is completed.

* Farazmazoglu is recognized by local human rights defenders as political prisoners.

He was arrested on June 30, 2016 on charges of taking a bribe of 3,000 manats from the restaurant owner. The fact of receiving money was not registered in accordance with the law, that is, without evidence, but only on the basis of the application of the complainant and some witnesses.-06D--