In Azerbaijan, release of activist Bakhtiyar Gadjiev rejected again

Today, the Garadag District Court of Baku again rejected the activist Bakhtiyar Gadjiev of conventional early relief (CER) in connection with serving of half of his imprisonment sentence.

According to Intigam Aliev, the head of public defence of Bakhtiyar Gadjiev, the leader of the Legal Education Society, on March 29, the trial took place behind closed doors at the colony No. 14. "We have learned about the solution from the judge, when he completed the process and left the colony," said the lawyer.

"Yesterday, Bakhtiyar Gadjiev was unofficially informed that the trial would take place at the colony. The court reported that the trial would be open and that there were no obstacles to monitor its progress. However, the administration of the colony stated that only the lawyer of Bakhtiyar Gadjiev can attend the trial. Thus, public representatives were not allowed to attend the trial. Therefore, we decided that the defence would not participate in the trial," said the head of the Legal Education Society.

He treated that fact as a violation of the principle of open trial. According to Intigam Aliev, for safety reasons, trials may be conducted at closed institutions; however, that decision should have a good reason.

The Garadag District Court refused to comment and only confirmed information that Bakhtiyar Gadjiev was rejected in conventional early relief.

Representatives of the Penitentiary Service of Azerbaijan also did not comment on the situation and referred to the fact that the question of conventional early relief comes within the competence of the court.