Repeated examination appointed in Azerbaijan on case of Dagestan drug contrabandist

Today, the Kusar District Court of Azerbaijan has reappointed on June 1 the hearing on the case of drug dealing and use by Usman Garisov, a resident of Dagestan, who is kept in the investigatory insulator of Azerbaijan since February 10.

Uman Garisov, Usman's brother, a resident of Karanaiaul village, Kayakent District, of Dagestan, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that the reappointment was made under the petition of lawyer Rauf Kazimov. "He asked to make a repeated examination of the pills named "Jaguar", which in Azerbaijan are equalled to drugs, although my brother bought them in a drugstore, where they were in free sale," he said.

He added that the court had failed to interrogate women-residents of Dagestan Shagidkhanum Naipova and Umukhanum Razakova, who eyewitnesses Usman Garisov's buying the pills. "It turned out that the judge asked - in the Azerbaijani language - everybody to leave the courtroom, but we didn't understand. When he saw that his request was not followed, he announced that he could not interrogate the women," said Umar Garisov.

He also said that the authorities of Dagestan got interested in the case. "I've learnt that one of these days Bekmurza Bekmurzaev, Minister for National Policy, Religion Matters and Foreign Relations of Dagestan, visited Azerbaijan and asked questions about the fate of my brother," said Umar.

In his turn, Minister Bekmurzaev confirmed that he had really visited the neighbouring republic. "Usman Garisov is a citizen of Russia and Dagestan; therefore, we are obliged to trace his fate. The degree of his guilt or his innocence should be defined by the court," said the Minister of Dagestan.