Gandzha Court refuses to release Bakhtiyar Gadjiev from custody on intellectuals' bail

In Azerbaijan on April 28, at its next session, the Nizami District Court of the city of Gandzha, which is considering the case of the young activist Bakhtiyar Gadjiev, accused of evasion from military service, listened to witnesses' evidences. However, at the beginning it was announced that the defence's challenge of the composition of the court chaired by Akhundov was rejected. The next court session was scheduled on May 5.

The petition to stop the criminal case against Bakhtiyar Gadjiev again remained unconsidered; the court also dismissed a petition on his release on bail for the period of trial, submitted by intellectuals Firudin Djalilov, Djamil Khasanli and Eldar Namazov.

The petition to release Gadjiev from detention on bail for money was also dismissed.

The first speaker was district police inspector Anar Iskenderov, under whose control Gadjiev had been. According to advocate Namazov, Iskenderov was rather "irresponsible in performing his duties." Thus, for ten days he came to Gadjiev's home to ensure his freedom restriction measure - control of the police, but did not find him. After 10 days, the district inspector forwarded the documents to the court.

The advocate maintains that the inspector should not have just visited Gadjiev's home, but should have asked about his whereabouts. "Gadjiev was not obliged by the law to reside at home. He was not under home arrest. The fact that he was not at home did not mean that he had violated his recognizance not to leave and had left Gandzha. The inspector should have asked Gadjiev's relatives about his whereabouts; however, he didn't say anything to them," said Namazov.

The next witness was Eldaniz Nagiev, chairman of the medical commission at the Military Commissariat of the Nizami District of Gandzha. According to advocate Namazov, Nagiev gave "contradictory evidences". Besides, according to the advocate, the act of Gadjiev's passing the medical commission in November 2010, attached to the indictment, "was not true."

"Gadjiev did not sign the act, citing that he had such right being a candidate for MP. Besides, he officially applied to the Commissariat asking to provide him with an opportunity to pass an alternative service, which is guaranteed by the Constitution," said the advocate.

Let us note here that this time the members of Gadjiev public support group in T-shirts with the inscription "Freedom to Bakhtiyar!" were not let to the courtroom.