The court in Azerbaijan prolonged the term of arrest of two journalists of regional TV channel "KhaialTV"

On September, 8, Nasimi district court of Baku passed a judgment to prolong the term of arrest of Vugar Gonagov, Executive Director of regional TV channel "KhaialTV" broadcasting in Guba district of Azerbaijan, and Zaur Guliev, Editor-in-Chief of this channel, till December, 1, the journalists' attorney Elchin Sadygov reported.

It should be reminded that on March, 1, 10 thousand people gathered at a meeting in Guba with the demand of resignation of Head of regional executive authority Rauf Gabibov in connection with a video record posted on the internet where he laid a number of accusations against residents of Guba. In connection with the disturbances charges of organization of actions aimed at violation of public order were brought against Zaur Guliev, Vugar Gonagov and advertising editor of "KhaialTV" Zaur Mustafaev. Mustafaev was later released.

The court under the chairmanship of judge Shalala Gasanova prolonged the term of preventive punishment to Vugar Gonagov and Zaur Guliev on the proposal of Investigative Department for especially grave crimes of Prosecutor General's of Azerbaijan, Elchin Sadygov told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to him, the Department of Prosecutor General's explained prolongation of the journalists' arrest by "the necessity to sum up the results of investigation and give the defendants time to study the materials of the criminal case".

In the lawyer's opinion, this reasoning is invalid because no investigative actions were carried out against the journalists since they were moved to an investigative isolation ward in Baku in the beginning of April and the investigator never visited them. "On the other hand, they do not need 2,5 months to study the materials of the case", our interlocutor remarked.

Sadygov informed that the verdict of the court would be appealed against.

He also said that there was no inquiry on his client Guliev's complaint of outrageous treatment during the period when he was kept in Chief Directorate of fight against organized crime of the Ministry of Interior Affairs. "Only once Guliev was visited by an investigator from Public Prosecutor's office in the investigative isolation ward who obtained evidence and that was all", the lawyer said.

Elchin Sadygov added that together with the journalists the court prolonged the term of arrest of Head of urban municipality Elhan Aliev who is also accused of organization of actions aimed at violation of public order till December, 1.

Investigation on the cases of the rest 25 defendants on the events in Guba is accomplished and the materials have been referred to court.

On August, 28, a trial on the cases of the first group of persons accused of disturbances in Guba was held in Guba district court of Azerbaijan. Eight local residents were brought before the court: Farhad Abdurahmanov, Samir Khanmamedov, Alhas Danialov, Samir Talybov, Matlab Dadashev, Sarvan Chobanov, Murad Zakirov and Sakhavat Aleskerov. During the trial they rejected the charges brought against them. Investigative Department for grave crimes carrying out investigation of the criminal case of the events in Guba withholds comment.