The Baku Court of Appeal, under the chairmanship of Judge Mirzali Abbasov, heard the appeal filed by the opposition Azerbaijan Popular Front Party’s deputy chairman Fuad Gahramanli in a closed court session. The appeal was brought against the Nasimi District Court May 4, 2016 decision to extend Gahramanli’s term of pretrial detention for a further 2 months, Gahramanli’s lawyer Fakhraddin Mehdiyev told the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS).
Fuad Gahramanli was arrested on December 8, 2015. He was charged under Articles 281 (making appeals against the state) and 283 (incitement of national, racial, social or religious hatred and hostility) of the Criminal Code, and was ordered detained. His case is being investigated under the same proceedings as the criminal case launched in regard to the police operation conducted in Nardaran on November 26, 2015.
According to Mehdiyev, the judge rejected his client’s appeal at today’s hearing and upheld the decision to extend the period of pretrial detention.