Baku Court of Appeal upholds sentence to journalist Fatullaev

The sentence against journalist Fatullaev remains in force; this was the end of considering the journalist's appeal complaint at the Baku Court of Appeal. It was a surprise for the advocates and the journalist, because the hearing of parties' arguments had been appointed for today.

Let us remind you that the journalist's complaint had to do with the verdict of the Garadag District Court of July 6, 2010, which sentenced Fatullaev to 2.5 years in prison on charges of illegal drug storage.

The session started with a half-hour delay at 3:30 p.m. The journalist moved a petition to examine his clothes and shoes in which drugs were detected, when he was in colony.

However, Judge Mirpashi Guseinov, after retiring for consultations, dismissed the petition. Then, the court left the courtroom for several times more; and, finally, Guseinov announced that "the trial should be over today."

The objections of the advocates and the defendant that they had no chance to get ready for presentations, and they had the right to the last plea, while the workday was nearly over, were parried by the judge who said that "the session would last as long as necessary."

At about 7 p.m. Judge Guseinov announced the decision: the sentence "remains in force unchanged."

Elchin Sadygov, a journalist's advocate, has treated such court's behaviour as "lawlessness" and "another indication of the political character of Fatullaev's case". According to his story, a cassation appeal will be filed.

Since the working day was over, no comments from the press service of the Baku Court of Appeal were available. The state prosecutor Magerram Mustafaev refused from comments.