Keeping a political prisoner u in aquarium as a punishment (UPDATED)

Today Baku Appeal Court upheld a human rights activist Intigam Aliyev , who was convicted on false economic charges, in jail.

Today's trial was special in terms of rights violations and abuse of human rights activist. So, Aliyev was put in a glass room-aquarium, where he almost did not hear anything. Therefore Aliyev often beat on the walls of the aquarium, making it clear he did not hear.

The judge did not allow the accused to sit next to lawyers, and did not change the human rights activist’s measure of restraint, as well as the rest of the applications were  dismissed.

Intigam Aliyev described his keeping  in aquarium a gross violation of  his rights, and protested the court. The judge allowed the lawyers to talk with his client, but the guards were not  let them in the aquarium.

Lawyers Elchin Sadigov and Shahla Humbatov called  formal the trial of the  Court of Appeal. "The  trial showed that the judge and the prosecutor, together, want to condemn Intigam Aliyev."

The lawyer Fakhraddin Mehdiyev believes that the verdict is unfair and unreasonable, and the charge was based on assumptions. The lawyer reminded that  Intigam Aliyev  defended the rights of many people in the European Court. He did a great job on the issue of the legal education of the population. The volume of his work is comparable to the work of the Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Law, but the court did not consider all this.

Intigam Aliyev, in turn, called the judges "police" and the arrest of social activist a political order. "The judge turns off the microphone when he hears the critical notes in the statement,"  said the defendant.

"This government does not comply with the decisions of the European Court. For power  the decision of this simple structure  is a piece of paper. We were arrested because we are defending the rights of people. In this country there is no judicial system," said Intigam Aliyev.

Intigam Aliyev was  arrested in August 2014. April 22, 2015 the Baku Court of Grave Crimes sentenced him to seven years in prison. «Amnesty International» announced  Intigam Aliyev a prisoner of conscience. -03C04-

2015 July 21 (Tuesday) 13:34:46

Today Baku Appeal Court dismissed the appeal of the human rights defender Intigam Aliyev and upheld his sentence of imprisonment for 7.5 years.

During the trial, the court rejected all the defense motions, not even allowing Aliyev to sit alongside his lawyers.

Aliyev was imprisoned in a glass cage Aquarium and spoke through a microphone.

However, the presiding judge Mirzali Abbasov cut off the microphone every time when Aliyev expressed criticism of the judicial system of the country.

"In countries with fair trial people are usually grateful to judges at the end of the trial. But I do not dare to do it, because we do not have a judicial system," said Aliyev and the judge immediately disabled his microphone.

Aliyev expressed his gratitude to all the activists who are in prison, those who continue to struggle for freedom and international human rights activists, who make efforts in support of political prisoners in Azerbaijan.

Aliyev said that under the conditions in which he was placed in the court, when he cannot even speak freely because he is turned off the microphone, he considers an insult for him to give a speech.

He said that Azerbaijan does not have even minimum standards of a fair system of protection of man's rights.

A large number of civil society activists, journalists and representatives of Western diplomatic missions came to the court. This meeting was held in a small hall and many people could not get into the hall.

Recall that Aliyev was arrested in August 2014. The Baku Court of Grave Crimes on April 22 sentenced him to 7.5 years in prison on charges of illegal business, tax evasion, misappropriation, official forgery and abuse of office. Aliyev denies the charges and believes that he is being persecuted for political reasons in connection with his human rights advocacy. Amnesty International recognizes Aliyev "prisoner of conscience". -06B-