18:35, 18 July 2014

Court in Azerbaijan postpones consideration of appeal lodged by "Nida" activists

Since the advocates have filed an appeal against the decision of the preliminary session of the Baku Court of Appeal (CoA), the consideration of another appeal complaint, lodged by activists of the "Nida" movement, has been indefinitely postponed.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on June 27 the Baku CoA held a preliminary session on the complaint of eight "Nida" activists, convicted on charges of organizing mass disturbances. One of them, Bakhtiyar Guliev, petitioned to renounce his appeal; and his petition was granted. Then, the consideration of activists' appeal on the merits was scheduled for July 18.

At today's session, the lawyer Elton Guliev has presented, on behalf of all the advocates of all the defendants, a cassation complaint against the decision of the preliminary session of the Baku CoA. In this regard, the judicial hearing was postponed.

The consideration of the appeal on the merits may last for four or six weeks, said Asabali Mustafaev, the advocate of the "Nida" activist Rashad Gasanov.

Earlier, the verdict to "Nida" activists was sharply criticized by Azerbaijani and international human rights organizations, as well as the US Embassy in Azerbaijan. The Amnesty International has announced the convicted activists as "prisoners of conscience".

Author: Faik Medzhid

Source: CK correspondent