Polad Aslanov urged the Supreme Court to ensure transparency of his trial

Baku/02.02.22/Turan: Convicted xeberman.com website editor Polad Aslanov on the eve of the February 3 hearing of his appeal at the Supreme Court called to ensure transparency of the process.

In his appeal to the chairman of the Judicial-Legal Council Fikret Mamedov and the head of the Supreme Court Ramiz Rzayev, as well as the judge presiding over the process Hafiz Nasibov, he asked for the unimpeded access to the process of human rights defenders, journalists and members of the public.

Aslanov asked those wishing to take part in the process to have identity papers and covid-passports and to observe the rules of quarantine.

Also, Aslanov stressed that he has not committed a crime and neither investigative bodies nor courts have proved until today that he committed a "criminal offence". He calls upon the Supreme Court to consider his complaint objectively and fairly and not to make a decision contrary to the Constitution of Azerbaijan.

The court hearing is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on Thursday.

* xeberman.com editor Polad Aslanov was sentenced Nov. 16, 2019, to 16 years of imprisonment on charges of treason in favor of Iran. Reporters Without Borders and other human rights groups called on Azerbaijani authorities to release Polad Aslanov.

On January 6, he began a hunger strike demanding a review of his case and an expedited consideration of his appeal in the Supreme Court.

On the 9th day of the hunger strike, the Supreme Court scheduled the consideration of Aslanov's appeal for February 3.  On January 25, on the 20th day of the action the journalist stopped his hunger strike at the insistence of doctors.-16B-