Advocate claims falsification of case against journalist Afgan Sadygov

On December 1, in Azerbaijan, the Jalilabad District Court started judicial investigation into the case against journalist Afgan Sadygov. According to Elchin Sadygov, a journalist's advocate, at the first court hearing, the defence has managed to identify falsification in a criminal case.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on November 22, Afgan Sadygov, the founder and the editor of the "Azel.tv", a website of social and political orientation, well-known by his publications about corruption in the authorities, was detained in the Gazakh District. Afgan Sadygov is charged of assaulting a woman. Relatives of Afgan Sadygov treat criminal proceedings against him as revenge for his criticism of the authorities of the Jalilabad District.

According to Afgan Sadygov, "at the very first court hearing, the defence has managed to identify falsifications in the criminal case."

"The Court has listened to the testimony of Aliya Rzaeva who was recognized as a victim in the case. The woman began to argue that at about 10:00 a.m. on August 9, Afgan Sadygov allegedly hit her at the reception of the executive power head of the Jalilabad District, and she lost consciousness and woke up several days later. The woman claimed that she was immediately brought to the central district hospital, where she received medical treatment during seven days. However, the woman's words contradict the data of the hospital book registration, according to which, Aliya Rzaeva was brought to the hospital at 3:30 p.m. of August 9. It takes only five minutes to reach the hospital from the building of the district administration. So, the victim lies, and investigators actually repeat the lie," said the advocate.

Furthermore, the defender has added that in the case materials, the complaint filed by Aliya Rzaeva to the police and the explanatory testimony are dated August 9 and signed by the woman.

"How could she sign them if she was unconscious? This is an obvious falsification of the case materials," said the advocate.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.