Giyas Ibrahimov and His Father Accused of Contempt of Judge

Baku / 28.09.17 / Turan: Already serving prison sentence, the youth activist Giyas Ibrahimov and his father Hasan Ibrahimov are charged with contempt of the judge.

On May 10, 2016, the members of the NIDA Movement Giyas Ibrahimov and Bayram Mammadov were arrested after writing political slogans on the monument to Heydar Aliyev. However, they were accused of a crime connected with drug trafficking and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.

Amnesty International has declared both "prisoners of conscience" because it believes that the accusation against them is fabricated. Representatives of the authorities do not consider them political prisoners, stating that they are punished "for a specific criminal act."

On September 27, the youth activist Giyas Ibrahimov and his father Hasan Ibrahimov were charged under article 289.2 (contempt of the judge) of the Criminal Code in the Investigation Department of the Ministry of Justice, the lawyer Elchin Sadigov told Turan.

The criminal case was initiated in connection with the incident that occurred in the Baku Court of Appeal on June 5 this year. Giyas Ibrahimov, during the state prosecutor's speech, repeatedly pointed to Judge Vugar Mammadov with his hands, saying that he could not hear anything while in a glass cage. However, the judge did not attach any importance to this. Giyas Mammadov, in protest, tore off the microphone that was in the cage. Judicial warders entered the cage and shackled Ibrahimov's hands in handcuffs. It seems that this was done rudely, as traces of the defendant's blood were visible on the bench. At this time his father Hasan Ibrahimov, who was in the hall, expressed his dissatisfaction and turning to the judges said the day would come, when the same would happen to their children.

The father and son, according to the lawyer, rejected the charges. "Hasan Ibrahimov said he did not plead guilty, and he only protested the illegal actions of the judge. Naturally, Giyas rejected the accusation," the lawyer Elchin Sadigov continued. He said the expert's conclusions were "one-sided and biased."

"In the conclusion of the examination, the expression of Hasan Ibrahimov, addressed to the judge in the form "Your children will also face the same (unjust arrest)" is regarded as an "insult". However, this is only an evaluation of the judge's actions," said the lawyer.

According to him, the investigation will be completed next week, and the materials will be sent to the court.

Article 289.2 (contempt of the judge) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan provides for punishment in the form of a fine from 300 to 500 manat (from 180 to 300 dollars), or correctional labor for up to 2 years, or imprisonment for six months. -06B--