Trial in the Case of Hilal Mammadov

Preparatory hearing in the case of "Tolyshi Sado" newspaper editor and head of the Talysh Cultural Centre, Hilal Mammadov, began on Wednesday in the Baku at the Court of Grave Crimes, chaired by Azer Orujov.  The lawyer Khalid Bagirov, made a number of applications. He asked the court to release Mammadov from the iron cage during the trial and allow him to sit next to his lawyers. He also requested to keep a video and audio recording the process, which contributes to the objectivity of the investigation.

The state prosecutor Tural Yusifov called the petition "baseless," because Mammadov   is accused of serious crimes, and so rejected the petitions.  He did note that the lawyer is allowed to come to the defendant to consult.

Then a dispute arose between the judge and human rights activist, and former "prisoner of conscience" Vidadi Iskenderli, who came into the room with a mobile phone. Iskenderli said that he had a right to his phone, and refused to hand it over. They told him to leave the court room, but he refused.

The lawyer Bagirov delivered a petition to stop the trial due to a lack of evidence against Mammadov,  and return the case for further investigation. He also requested to change the measure of restraint of his house arrest. The lawyer also referred to the lack of specificity of "espionage" in the Criminal Code,  and requested an application to the Constitutional Court to give an interpretation. The lawyer also asked to exclude from the case "doubtful evidence" and supplement it with evidence of protection.

In particular, the lawyer considers the testimony of Elman Guliyev questionable. Guliyev was previously convicted and sentenced along with "Tolyshi Sado"’s former editor, Novruzali Mamedov, in 2008 to six years in prison, and suggested that Guliyev have a psychiatric examination.  And to hold a linguistic examination of Mamadov’s articles for the presence of inciting ethnic hatred. 

Another lawyer, Ramiz Mammadov, supported all petitions and proposed to delete "evidence" of H.Mammadov’s involvement in criminal cases of separatist Alikram Gummatov, who in 1993 proclaimed the Talysh-Mugan Republic, "the group Dadashbeyli Sayid", and former editor of "Tolyshi sado" , Novruzali Mamedov, because of the "absurdity" of these allegations.

Hilal Mammadov himself expressed hope that the trial would be objective.  A preparatory meeting will continue on January 10 at 10:00.

* H.Mamedov was arrested on 21 June 2012, and charged under Articles 274 (high treason), 283.2.2 (inciting national and religious hatred) and 234.4.3 (illegal possession and distribution of drugs.), if found guilty, he can be sentenced to 15 years in prison.

International human rights and media organizations recognize Mammadov as a prisoner of conscience, and have repeatedly called for his immediate release.

Mammadov's arrest came after he posted a video online on the popular network meykhana: “Who are you, goodbye.” -16D-