Azerbaijan: home of parents of journalist accused of treason searched

On May 23, in Baku, Azerbaijani law enforcers held a search of the flat of the elderly parents of journalist Rauf Mirkadirov, who is accused of treason. The search was conducted without the presence of Mirkadirov's advocates, said one of them – Fuad Agaev.

Rauf Mirkadirov, an observer of the Russian-language newspaper "Zerkalo" (Mirror) was detained on April 18 in Turkey and deported to Baku on the following day. The journalist is now kept in the SIZO (pre-trial prison) and accused of treason. His colleagues believe that his arrest has to do with his professional activities.

According to Agaev, when he arrived, the search was over; and law enforcers had left the house. Mirkadirov's parents offered to invite the commandant of the building as a witness, but they were not allowed to do it.

The lawyer has stressed that the protocol of the search was not provided to the parents or the defence; he added that investigators had failed to notify the advocates about the search, which is a procedural violation.

Agaev said that no investigatory actions were undertaken in relation to Mirkadirov. Earlier, the journalist had refused to evidence.