British court refuses to extradite Zamira Gadjieva to Azerbaijan

The court found that the right of Zamira Gadjieva, the wife of the former head of the International Bank of Azerbaijan, to administering justice in Azerbaijan may be violated, and refused to extradite her to her homeland.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that attention of British investigators was attracted by the spending made by Zamira Gadjieva, the wife of the former head of the International Bank of Azerbaijan, at a department store, and her purchase of expensive real estate. On November 6, 2018, a magistrate court in London sanctioned to arrest Gadjieva. Later, a British court allowed her to stay at large on the bail of half a million pounds.

On September 27, the TASS reported referring to a London court, which refused to extradite Zamira Gadjieva to Azerbaijan.

In their turn, Azerbaijani authorities insist on her extradition, since Gadjieva and her husband are accused by law enforcers of an especially large-scale embezzlement. The London court has acknowledged that Zamira Gadjieva could have taken part in money laundering and embezzlement.

However, Judge Emma Arbatnot has expressed doubts about the independence of Azerbaijani courts and motivated the refusal to extradite Zamira Gadjieva by the fact that in Azerbaijan her right to justice could be violated, the TASS has reported.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on September 28, 2019 at 07:40 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.