Prosecution asks up to 7.5 years in prison for protesters against ban on hijabs in Baku

The Nariman District Court of Baku is finalizing the trial of six believers, who were arrested last October for taking part in the action against the ban on wearing hijabs in schools.

In his speech on May 29, the prosecutor asked the court to find Elshad Rzaev and Ramil Veliev guilty under Articles 315.2 (resistance to police with use of force, which threatens policemen's the life and health) and 233 (organization of actions aimed at disturbing public order or participation in them) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan and sentence them to 7.5 years in prison each.

The 2.5 years' term was requested for Vakhid Lyalyakshiev, Elchin Mamedov, Arif Fataliev and Ramil Mekhtiev under Article 233 of the Criminal Code.

The lawyer Anar Gasymly has treated the double sentence to his client Rzaev for one and the same offence as unjustified and also pointed to the incorrect presentation of the defendants as religious fanatics by investigators, because it was just a protest against the ban on wearing hijabs at schools, The "Contact AZ" reports with reference to the "Turan" agency.

At the court session most of the defendants refused to plead guilty; some of them did it partially, the "Lenta.ru" reports.

Let us remind you that on April 22 eight believers who participated in the protest action were already sentenced to the terms from five to six years of imprisonment; and on May 20 ten more protesters received prison terms ranging from one and a half to two years.