22:33, 1 July 2013

Baku court dismisses complaint against Zaur Gurbanly's arrest

Zaur Gurbanly. Photo ttp://www.radioazadlyg.org/

The Baku Court of Appeal (CoA) has dismissed the appeal complaint lodged by Zaur Gurbanly, a blogger and an activist of the "Nida" public movement, against the court ruling to extend his arrest by three months more. His advocate believes that investigators are deliberately protracting the transfer of the case to the court.

Zaur Gurbanly is one of the "Nida" activists, arrested in March and April on charges of illegal possession of explosives and narcotic drugs. The young man is charged with illegal circulation of arms and ammunition within an organized criminal grouping.

Khalid Bagirov, an advocate of Zaur Gurbanly, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that there were no investigative actions with participation of his client.

The lawyer also expressed concern about the health condition of the young man, whose chronic disease has aggravated dramatically at the SIZO (pre-trial prison). Gurbanly suffers from thalassemia (hereditary haemolytic anaemia, which causes a number of pathological changes due to an impaired oxygen supply to the organism, – note of the "Caucasian Knot").

The Amnesty International has recognized the arrested "Nida" activists "prisoners of conscience". The arrests were also condemned by the Human Rights Watch.

Author: Faik Medzhid

Source: CK correspondent