24 September 2020, 10:42
Azerbaijan: court refuses to release ex-Ambassador Gasanov on bail
Eldar Gasanov, a former Ambassador of Azerbaijan, accused of abuse of powers and misuse of budgetary funds, was denied the release on bail. Gasanov refuses to plead guilty and insists on an objective investigation, his advocate has stated.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the Azerbaijani Ambassador to Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina was detained on August 13.
The defence petitioned for the release of the 65-year-old Gasanov on bail, citing his age, state of health and the nature of his imputed crimes.
Yalchin Imanov, a former member of the Azerbaijani Bar Association, has noted that in the republic's judicial practice the release on bail has been almost never applied.
"There are certain political overtones in Gasanov's case ... His arrest, most likely, should be considered in the context of the removal from the political field of an important figure, who can form a centre of political power around himself," Namizad Safarov, the coordinator of the Centre against Repressions and Torture, said earlier.
Emin Guseinov, Director of the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS), also treats Gasanov as "an important political figure, who may be unwanted by to the official authorities."
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on September 23, 2020 at 03:54 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Author: Faik Medjid Source: CK correspondent
