Nasimi District Court chaired by Judge Babak Panahov heard the petition by the prosecutor’s office seeking the prolongation of Azadliq newspaper distribution director Faig Amirli’s pre-trial detention term. The court extended Amirli’s detention period for another two months.
Speaking about the closed hearing, journalist’s lawyer Agil Layijov said petitions for the extension of the detention term filed by prosecutor’s offices were most of the time unconditionally granted by courts in practice.
The period of the pre-trial detention of Faig Amirli was extended until 12 January 2017.
Background: Faig Amirli was arrested on 20 August 2016. Employees of the investigating authority searched his car and house, and allegedly found and seized Fetullah Gulen books from his car. According to his lawyer, wedding video cassettes were also seized during the search. Amirli is charged under Articles 283.1 (Actions aimed at the incitement of national, racial, social or religious hatred and enmity, humiliation of national dignity, as well as actions aimed at restricting the rights of citizens or establishment of the superiority of citizens on grounds of their nationality, race, social status or religion, if these acts are committed publicly or through the media) and 168.1 (Creating, managing or being part of a group, which – under the pretext of disseminating religious faiths and performing religious rites – carries out an activity that disrupts public order or harms the health of citizens or violates the rights of citizens irrespective of its form of infringement, as well as distracts citizens from performance of their duties established by law) of the Criminal Code. Nasimi District Court has ordered his pre-trial detention for three months.