Azerbaijani Bar Association excludes lawyer Elchin Namazov

Today, the Presidium of the Bar of Azerbaijan has decided to suspend the powers of the lawyer Elchin Namazov and dismiss him from the Bar membership. The punishment followed the recognition by the Bar's disciplinary commission of Namazov's violation of professional ethics.

The decision to stop Namazov's powers will enter into force after its approval by the court. However, pending the court decision, the lawyer cannot work. In this regard, the Presidium prescribed him to deliver all his orders on defending his clients' rights.

Let us note here that the reason for consideration of Namazov's case was in the appeal of Shakhin Abdullaev, a judge of the Nasimin District Court, who decided on August 26 to remove the lawyer from the trial on the case of the oppositional activists arrested in relation with the April 2 rally. The judge suggested that the Bar attract Namazov to disciplinary responsibility. Moreover, Abdullaev asked the prosecutor's office to initiate a criminal case against Namazov under Article 289 (contempt of the court).

Lawyer Namazov believes that he is punished under "a political order." "It was evident once again, when neither the disciplinary commission, nor the Presidium of the Bar would even listen to me," he said.

According to Namazov, he is persecuted for his "going to trials to defend people accused in politically motivated and fabricated cases and exposing the nature of such criminal cases."

The lawyer is not going to give up and plans to file a counterclaim in connection with the harm caused to his reputation and demand compensation for his material losses and moral sufferings.

The Bar refused to comment on the decision in respect of Namazov, but only confirmed the fact of his punishment.

Let us note here that Namazov has recently defended the youth activist Rufat Gadjibeili, arrested in connection with the opposition rally on April 2. Earlier, Namazov had defended other activists, treated by rights defenders as political prisoners. In particular, he was one of the advocates for Bakhtiyar Gadjiev, a youth and social networking activist, who was convicted in May this year to two years in prison on charges of evading his regular military service.

Let us note here that today the Presidium of Bar has also considered bringing disciplinary punishment of another lawyer, Aslan Ismailov. Earlier, the disciplinary commission had found him to break professional ethics, in particular, mistreatment of his client.

The lawyer denies the accusation and says that he is pressed he has filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA), General Prosecutor's Office and the commission to fight corruption, because of their inaction in response to violation of the rights of Ismailov's clients - brothers-businessmen Zulfugarly.