Presided over by Anar Ibrahimov, Khachmaz District Court held preliminary hearings today on the case of 6 people accused of rioting in Guba on March 1, 2012. In the dock were Elkhan Aliyev, head of the local municipality, Vugar Gonagov, chief executive and editor of the local TV channel Khayal TV and others.
They were charged under sections 233 (public nuisance), 309.2 (abuse of power), 186.2 (property damage), and 315.2 (resistance to authority by force) of the Criminal Code. Proceeding were to have begun on November 30 in the Guba court, but judge Fizuli Panahov refused to deal with the case, as he participated in the case against another group involved in the events.
The Sumgayit Court of Appeal referred the case to the territorial jurisdiction of neighboring Khachmaz. According to observers, the case was heard in the neighboring Khachmaz for fear of protests by residents of Guba, considering that the defendants are known people.
At today's meeting, the lawyers made motions to change the conditions of restraint from arrest to house arrest. Prosecutor Ahad Ibragimov opposed. Gonagov requested that he be retained in custody, and that other defendants be released because of their age. He also stated that the defendants are innocent. "It was me that gave the disc of the video presentation by Rauf Khabibov to Elkhan Aliyev, head of the community. Leave me in custody, and free the others," said Gonagov. The judge did not consider the claims and advised counsel to prepare for trial on December 19.
About 50 people from Guba attended the trial; they met and escorted the defendants in the courtyard shouting "Eshg Olsun" ("Glory!").
* On March 1, thousands of Guba residents staged a rally to demand the resignation of Rauf Khabibov, Chief Executive of the district in connection with the exposed online videos, where he uttered a series of insults about local residents. The protest turned into a riot, Khabibov’s villa was burnt, and damage was caused to the building of the district executive. The next day Khabibov was dismissed as head of the district.
The trial regards four groups of defendants - 30 people altogether. -06B-
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