Preparatory Meeting on Case of Former Investigator

Today the Lankaran Court of Grave Crimes chaired by Asem Hajiyev held a preparatory meeting on the case of the former investigator of the prosecutor's office of the Zardab region Rufat Safarov.

According to the lawyer Behruz Bayramov, he applied for the termination of criminal proceedings on the grounds of acquittal.

The judge left the petition not considered, stating that he would discuss it after the hearing on the merits. Start of the trial is scheduled for August 8.

Safarov himself told Turan that the criminal case was fabricated to punish him for his active civil position.

Recall that Safarov is the son of a former member of parliament and one of the founders of the ruling party Yeni Azerbaijan Eldar Sabiroglu, who last year publicly criticized the head of Presidential Administration Ramiz Mehdiyev.

In December Safarov publicly criticized the authorities for violations of the law and the poor performance of law enforcement agencies, and announced his retirement from the prosecution. In turn, the prosecutor office reported the dismissal of Safarov "for improper conduct."

On January 15 Safarov was arrested on charges of taking bribes. However, on January 22, he was released under house arrest. Safarov rejects the charge and says the criminal case is politically motivated. -B06--