Azerbaijan: investigation in relation to theologian Abgyul Suleimanov extended by 3 months

On October 8, the Sabail District Court of Baku held a session on the case of theologian Abgyul Suleimanov. The court decided to extend the investigatory until early 2012.

The advocate Anar Gasymly said the court session was held behind closed doors.

According to his story, as a result of the session, the term of inquiry in Suleimanov's case was extended by 3 months, the "SalamNews" reports.

Let us remind you that on August 12 the PR Centre of the Ministry for National Security (MNS) reported detention of three citizens of Azerbaijan - Abgyul Nemat oglu Suleimanov, Ramin Djakhangir oglu Bairamov and Arif Gyulsuvar oglu Ganiev.

They are accused of "hostile activities against Azerbaijan; helping a foreign state and its representatives; and inciting riots, disturbance of public safety and civil disobedience." According to their advocates, the detainees deny all the presented charges.

On October 7, the Court of Grave Crimes sentenced Movsum Samedov, Chairman of the Islamic Party of Azerbaijan, to 12 years in prison on charges of terrorism and other crimes. Five other members of the party received from 10 to 11.5 years of high security colony; and one more was sentenced to 11 years of conditional imprisonment with 5 years of probation.

Let us note here that journalists report about the increased number - in recent weeks - of violations of reporters' rights, when they cover trials of oppositionists and Islamists. In particular, on October 5, at the trial of the Islamic Party leader Movsum Samedov, policemen clashed with believers. The incident was filmed by Nushaba Fatullayeva, a correspondent of Radio Liberty. The police took away her video camera and deleted the record. The woman-reporter had her arms twisted and was insulted, the "Contact Online News" reports.

Earlier, all the defendants stated fabrication of charges against them. In the course of the trial, which began on August 4, they said that they had no intention to create an Islamic state in Azerbaijan, but were engaged in promoting moral values of Islam, stood in defence of believers' rights, and, in particular, demanded to lift the ban on wearing headscarves by schoolgirls in schools, which had been introduced by the Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan in November 2010.