The court in Baku deferred trial on blogger Gajiev’s appeal till February, 27

Consideration of Baktiyar Gajiev’s appeal against refusal to release him on parole appointed on February, 20, in the Appellate Court of Baku (ACB) under the chairmanship of judge Vagif Mursaglov was deferred till February, 27. The reason was Gajiev’s default at trial.

Gajiev was arrested on March, 4, 2011. On May, 18, he was sentenced to two years of custody for conscription dodging by the judgment of Nizami district court. Later the Appellate Court of Gianja and the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan brought standing judgments on this verdict. Gajiev considers it unlawful and politically motivated.

On serving one third of his penalty term Gajiev appealed to court asking for release on parole. On December, 29, Garadag district court at a circuit trial in colony No 14 dismissed his motion. Gajiev filed an appeal in connection with refusal of the court of first instance to grant his motion of release on parole.

Intigam Aliev, head of the group of Gajiev’s legal defenders and Association of legal enlightenment (ALE), reported that the reason why Gajiev could not be brought to court was “misunderstanding between the court and penitentiary system”.

The day before preparatory session of ACB held on February, 6, Gajiev was delivered to the investigative isolation ward. It emerged that after Gajiev complained of improper prison conditions he was taken back to colony No 14. However, Penitentiary service did not inform ACB about it and the court did not inquire on where the declarant of the appeal was before the beginning of the trial.

“At the trial it emerged that the court was not aware of the fact that Gajiev was taken back to colony No 14, there was no respective notification… It is one more manifestation of the court’s disrespect for the public, mass media and representatives of international organizations who came the observe the trial”, Aliev said adding that such conducting of the case should be called “disorderliness”.

The employees of ACB secretariat did not comment on the reason of the deferment of the trial just saying that “the judge has a right of taking such decisions”.