Baku court completes inquiry into case against Facebook user Omar Mamedov

In Azerbaijan, the court has completed the investigation into the case against Omar Mamedov, a member of the Civil Solidarity Party and a Facebook activist, accused of drug trafficking. The court has refused to attach to the case materials an email correspondence between the defendant and his parents. According to the defence, the e-mail correspondence proves the criminal prosecution against the activist is politically motivated.

At the court session held on June 6, the defence filed a new motion to attach to the case materials the evidence related to the indication of the political nature of the criminal prosecution against Omar Mamedov. This was told to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent by advocate Khalid Bagirov.

In particular, the advocate states the defence has presented to the court the email correspondence between Omar Mamedov and his mother during the fall semester of 2013, when the defendant was studying in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. In the email correspondence, they were discussing the fact that Elyar Mamedov, the Omar's father, was summoned to the Chief Directorate for Combating Organized Crime of the Azerbaijani Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA). There, he was subjected to pressure because of his son's criticism of the authorities posted on Facebook. The parents were persuading Omar not to come back, since he might be arrested.

Prior to the court session, Omar Mamedov has reported that at the Shuvelan SIZO (pre-trial prison) he has been proposed to send a petition for pardon to the President, but he has refused to do that.

Earlier, an official from the press service of the Azerbaijani MIA has denied the political motif in the criminal case against Omar Mamedov.

See earlier reports: "CMEDT leader detained in Azerbaijan", "Yadigar Sadygov, accused of hooliganism in Azerbaijan, claims falsification of his criminal case", "In Azerbaijan, human rights defender Vidadi Iskenderov arrested for 15 days".