Azerbaijan: at trial of "Nida" activists defendants refuse to evidence

On Thursday, December 5, at the Baku Court of Grave Crimes, which tries seven activists of the "Nida" Movement and Ilkin Rustamzade, a member of the "Free Youth" Movement, the defendants refused to testify, saying that they would speak only after consideration of proofs and hearing the evidence of the prosecution witnesses.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that initially the above "Nida" activists were charged with possession of narcotic drugs and explosives; however, on September 12, all of them, as well as Rustamzade, were accused of organizing mass disorders, for which they face up to 12 years in prison.

It was expected that the defendants would start evidencing today; however, when the judge gave the floor to Bakhtiyar Guliev, the latter said that he refused to testify at this stage of the investigation.

Khalid Bagirov, an advocate of one of the defendants, believes that the court had violated the defendants' rights: "The trial should first present the evidence of the prosecution, so that the defendants could better and more efficiently build their defence."

Let us note here that the Amnesty International has announced all the defendants in this case as "prisoners of conscience".