Advocate asks to acquit Azeri theologian Mustafaoglu

At the Baku Court of Grave Crimes, at the trial of theologian Elshan Mustafaoglu, accused of treason, his advocate has asked, in his closing speech, to acquit his client.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the theologian, who worked as a sector head at the Spiritual Administration of Muslims (SAM) of the Caucasus, was detained on suspicion of treason in December 2014. According to investigators, Elshan Mustafaoglu was recruited by Iranian intelligence services in 1992. The defence argues that the case was fabricated, and that in 1992 Mustafaoglu did not visit Iran.

According to the advocate Afgan Mamedov, the accusations "are built on testimonies of eight witnesses, who had not seen Mustafaoglu committing any illegal acts."

The judge has scheduled the next session for December 22.

Elshan Mustafaoglu is on the list of 166 political prisoners, compiled by the Institute for Peace and Democracy, Monitoring Centre of Political Prisoners and the Public Alliance "Azerbaijan without Political Prisoners".

The rights defender Oktay Gyulalyev has noted that the criminal case was initiated by the Ministry of National Security, which has discredit itself by a recent scandal.

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