Parviz Hashimli rejects indictment

On Monday Baku Serious Crimes Court chaired by  Novruz Karimov continued considering the case of journalist Parviz Hashimli accused of smuggling and illegal arms trade.

A second defendant in this case is Tavakkyul Gurbanov. After the announcement of the charges, the defendants  began to testify.

According to Ilakha Hashimli, the wife of Parviz Hashimli, he stated his innocence and complained about the conditions  in the jail of the Ministry of National Security (MNS.)

According to Hashimli, his testimonies "were written by investigator of the MNS." He also said he was tortured and threatened. So, he was placed in a ward with instruments of torture. He was also threatened  to be raped if he did not sign  what  investigator had written.

Hashimli said that before September 2013 was not familiar with the other accused Gurbanov.
In September 2013 Gurbanov called  Hashimli, and asked him to help retake the exam in the Economic University.
Hashimli  suggested  to refer to  him in writing,  and promised to help  to make public this case.
Further,  Gurbanov  gave testimony, and  claimed that  he  has known Hashimli since 2005. Gurbanov  will continue giving  testimonies at the next  trial on March 13.

* Hashimli is an employee of the newspaper "Bizim Yol" and the head of the site moderator.az. He was arrested on September 17, 2013 on charges of smuggling and illegal arms trade. He said the charges were politically motivated. The journalist’s relatives  said that he was  made  to publish revelatory articles against PFPA leader Ali Kerimli, but he refused, and now  is being punished for it.—16D06--