Azerbaijani journalist Mirkadirov not allowed attending his father's commemoration

In Azerbaijan, investigators have not allowed the journalist Rauf Mirkadirov, who is under arrest on charges of high treason, to take part in the commemoration ceremony on the 40th day after his father's death. The General Prosecutor's Office explained the refusal by a late advocates' appeal to investigators on the matter, the Mirkadirov's defence has reported.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the father of Rauf Mirkadirov, an observer of the Russian-language newspaper "Zerkalo" (Mirror) died at night on May 24, after on May 23 the flat of the journalist's parents was searched by law enforcement agents. On May 24, Mirkadirov, supervised by three employees of the Ministry of National Security (MNS), took part in his father's funeral.

"I quite understand the refusal for me to take part in the '40 days' ceremony in commemoration of my father. However, the fact of non-presentation of any official answers to the petitions of my advocates, who had asked to let me to take part in the ceremony, is a violation of the law," Rauf Mirkadirov said in his statement.

By refusing to let Mirkadirov to attend the commemoration, "from a formal point of view, in this case, investigators did not violate the law," said the lawyer Suleimanov. On the other hand, as he added, investigators failed to refer to the provisions of the legislation, which allow not letting him out, but argued that they had not received advocates' petitions.

Suleimanov also said that Mirkadirov is still rejecting the accusation of high treason.