Azerbaijan: participants of religious action arrested for two months

In the evening on February 15, the Yasamal District Court of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, ruled to arrest four believers, detained by the police during dispersal of the unauthorized action last Saturday, on February 13, for the term of two months.

The detainees - Elmar Samedov, Elchin Abbasov, Seimur Guseinov and Agali Mamedov - were accused under Articles 221.3 ("Hooliganism with use of arms or other objects") and 315.2 ("Resistance to power officials or violence against them") of the country's Criminal Code. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent has learnt about it from Fakhraddin Mekhtiev, Elchin Abbasov's advocate.

"I see no crime here, at least - in my client's actions. The charge against him is ungrounded. The actual circumstances of the case evidence that Abbasov committed no criminal offence," said the lawyer.

"Therefore, I plan to lodge an appeal complaint against the court ruling with a request to alter the freedom restriction measure," said Mekhtiev.

No other advocates were accessible for comments.

Should their guilt be proved, they may get up to 7 years of imprisonment.

Meanwhile, the Department of Moslems of the Caucasus (DMC) has made a statement today criticizing the police's dispersal of the believers' action.

"Taking care of public order is the police's duty; however, no violence, even if it is an unauthorized action, is ever admissible," runs the statement of the DMC.

At the same time, the Department recommends that believers notify the authorities well in advance about their plans and coordinate their actions.