The term of arrest of Rauf Mirkadyrov is extended until November 16

Today Nasimi District Court under the chairmanship of Azer Pashayev extended the arrest of the journalist Rauf Mirkadyrov for another  two months. Presentation was made by the prosecutor's office on 3 September,  but  protection  rejected the judge Shalala Hasanova, who has extended the term of arrest of  Mirkadyrov.  According to the lawyer Elmar Suleymanov, the withdrawal was granted, and the case  was submitted to the judge Azer Pashayev.

Prosecutors motivated further content  of Mirkadyrov in detention by  "unknown place of his residence, are not living at the place of registration, likely to abscond."

Protection rejected these allegations, saying that the investigators presented notary documents of residence of  Mirkadyrov. The lawyers called for the investigation to submit these documents to the court. However, the judge did not grant that request.

Mirkadyrov opposed the extension of his arrest, pointing to the absence of reasons for this. However, the judge decided to extend the term of  Mirkadyrov’s  arrest until 16 November. Protection plans to appeal the court's decision. At the same  the lawyer Suleymanov stressed that this is the  last extension of detention term, because by the law  the pretrial arrest cannot be more than 19 months.

* Mirkadyrov was arrested in April 2014 on charges of treason immediately after being deported from Turkey. He categorically denies the accusation. The real reason for his arrest  is  participation of  Mirkadyrov in the projects of the Institute of Peace and Democracy  of Leyla Yunus, who was also accused of treason.

It is noteworthy that the prosecution  of treason for Leyla  Yunus and her husband Arif Yunus was separated from production,  and  they were convicted for economic crimes. -16B06-