The court did not grant the defence’s motions. According to lawyer Yalchin Imanov, the rejected proposals were significant in terms of an objective investigation of the case. “The judicial scrutiny has been conducted cursorily. Furthermore, police officers provided contradictory testimonies against Rahim Shaliyev in court,” the lawyer noted.
Youth activist’s sister Lala Shaliyeva’s testimony was also heard in court. She denied the police officers’ accounts of hooligan behaviour by her brother in the street. “I saw policemen follow my brother on my way home at noon. But the police record reads that Rahim Shaliyev was detained while cursing aloud near the Manas shop at 12.40pm,” the activist’s sister said.
The defence considers Shaliyev’s arrest and the court’s decision groundless.
The domestic court rulings on Shaliyev’s case will be appealed to the European Court of Human Rights.
Background: Rahim Shaliyev is an activist with Sumgayit branch of REAL Movement. He is a blogger and collaborates with several local news portals. On 20 February, Sumgayit City Court sentenced Shaliyev to 30-day administrative arrest. The activist is accused of minor hooliganism and disobeying the police.