Lawyers urged the court to acquit Nur

Trial of the followers of the theologian Said Nursi (Nur), arrested in April 2014 completed in the Yasamal District Court of Baku. On 29 October the lawyers asked the court to acquit them. Five of the accused were arrested after a raid on an apartment in Baku on the street Khidir Mustafayev. Of the 40 arrested, five were prosecuted. A year ago, before the Court Eldaniz Hajiyev, Ismayil Mamedov, Ravan Farzaliyev, Zakaria Mammadov and Shahin Hasanov. The first three are in custody, while others under police surveillance.

The defendants faced charges under articles 167-2.2.1 (distribution of religious literature without permission, committed by prior agreement or an organized criminal group), 168.1 (infringement of the rights of citizens under the pretext of religious rituals,) and 168.2 (infringement of the rights of citizens under the pretext of religious rituals involving minors in the commission of these offenses) of the Criminal Code.

September 23 the prosecutor suggested to sentence I.Mamedov to 7 years in prison, Hajiyev, Hasanov Mammadov - 6.5,  Farzaliyev - four years imprisonment.

However, on September 29 the defenders made the final speech and asked the court to acquit the accused. The lawyer accused the four Asabali Mustafayev stated non consistency of the criminal case. According to him, an incriminated banned religious literature was published in 2006-2007, and then did not provide for criminal liability for the dissemination of such books.

Mustafayev also pointed to unfounded claims of investigation that performing religious rites, Nur encroached on the rights of other citizens.

In particular, the investigation called a violation car parking near the house, where they hold meeting and creating "plug". Mustafayev calls accusations far-fetched. Another lawyer Yalcin Imanov also believes that in this case there is no "evidence of a crime." "Believers did not commit any rituals. They just read the book "Risale-i-Nur ", discussing the moral foundations of this doctrine,"  said the lawyer.

Regarding the involvement of minors,  that day two cousins visited  Farzaliyev.

The lawyer believes that the defendants violated the rights guaranteed by the Constitution of Azerbaijan and its articles 47 (freedom of thought and expression), 48 (freedom of conscience), 49 (freedom of assembly).

The lawyer also said that the accused were victims of political expediency. However, he pointed out that the detainees are followers of traditional nursizm and are not related to Fatullah Gulen, whose supporters in Turkey and Azerbaijan pursue. The next  trial on this case will be held October 5th. -06B—