Hussein Abdullayev Sentenced to Six Years in Prison

Baku /02.10.19 / Turan: The trial of former businessman and former parliamentarian Hussein Abdullayev was completed at the Baku Military Court.

In the case of the accused, his mother, Zeynab Abdullayeva, who was under the sign of not leaving Azerbaijan, also stood before the court. The case was examined by the Military Court, as among the 7 accused there were border guards.

The criminal case was investigated under Art. "illegal business", "fraud", "extortion by threats", "tax evasion", "illegal border crossing", etc.

At a meeting on September 19, the prosecutor asked to sentence Abdullayev to 8 years in prison.

The prosecutor asked to convict another three defendants for a term of 6 to 8 years in prison, and for mother Abdullayev he wanted a fine of 5 thousand manats.

On October 1, the verdict was read out to the accused. According to the verdict of the court, Abdullayev was sentenced to 6 years in prison. His mother was fined 4,000 manats.

Former border guards who helped Abdullayev illegally cross the border, Habib Ibrahimov, Zaur Guliyev, and Parviz Kazimov were sentenced to probation.

Namig Babayev and Nazim Aliyev, who worked in Abdullayev"s Araz-İnşaat OJSC, received 4 years and 3 years of imprisonment respectively.

A relative of the Abdullayevs, Intigam Soltanov, was released in the courtroom.

Abdullayev emotionally reacted to the prosecutor"s speeches, shouting that he was falsifying the charges. The judge ordered Abdullayev to be taken out of the courtroom.

** Hussein Abdullayev, being a native of the Nakhchivan region, held leading positions in the business related to oil and oil products in the 1990s. Groups of young men under his control participated in breaking up opposition protests.

In 2005, Abdullayev became a member of parliament and criticized the activities of the Cabinet of Ministers. In March 2007, at a parliamentary meeting, pro-government deputy Fazail Agamaly provoked Abdullayev to a fight. However, only Abdullayev was punished. He was first arrested, and later sentenced for hooliganism to 2 years probation.

In 2013, he emigrated from Azerbaijan. Some time later a criminal case was opened against him on tax charges. Living in Germany, Abdullayev prepared and published on a social network a series of songs calling for mass protests.

On April 22, 2018, Abdullayev was detained in Turkey, where he arrived from Germany, and extradited to Azerbaijan. In Baku he was charged under Art. 192.2.2 (illegal business with the extraction of large incomes), 178.2.1, 178.2.2, 178.2.4 (fraud), 182.2.1 (extortion through threats by prior conspiracy of persons), 182.2.2 (the same actions committed repeatedly) and 182.2.4 (the same actions committed with causing serious damage to the victim) of the Criminal Code.

On February 1, the mother of the accused Zeynab Abdullayeva appealed to President Ilham Aliyev with a request to show humanity and mercy towards her son. She asked to take into account her advanced age and serious health problems at Abdullayev himself. -06D-