Lawyer Elchin Sadigov has filed motions with Murad Guliyev, the investigator of the Investigation and Inquiry Department of Baku City Main Police Office investigating youth activist Giyas Ibrahimov’s case, and investigator Habib Habibli, who is investigating Bayram Mammadov’s case, Elchin Sadigov told the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS).
Youth activist Giyas Ibrahimov wrote “Happy Slave Holiday” and “fuck the system” on the late Azerbaijani president Heydar Aliyev’s statue facing the Central Bank near the 28-May metro station, and Bayram Mammadov took a photo of the slogans on the statue.
The photo of the slogans was shared on NIDA civic movement’s Facebook page late on May 9. The two youth went missing since the evening hours on May 10. It was only on May 12, 2016 that the Ministry of Internal Affairs published information on the youths’ arrest. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as a result of operational search actions carried out by the officers of the Drug Enforcement Department of Baku City Main Police Office, Police Office #22 of Nasimi District Police Department and Police Office #25 of Nizami District Police Department, 2,607 grams of heroin was found on Giyas Ibrahimov on the territory of Nasimi district and seized, and additional 1 kilogram and 10 grams of heroin was found and seized during the search of his apartment. As a result of other operational search actions carried out by the officers of the Drug Enforcement Department of Baku City Main Police Office and Police Office #12 of Sabunchu District Police Department, 2,904 grams of heroin was found on Sabunchu settlement resident Bayram Mammadov and seized, and additional 1 kilogram and 150 grams of heroin was found and seized during the search of his house.
Both activists are charged under Articles 234.4.1 (illegal manufacturing, purchase, storage, transportation, transfer or selling of narcotics, psychotropic substances or their precursors – on preliminary arrangement by a group of persons or by an organized group) and 234.4.3 (- in a large amount) of the Criminal Code.
Bayram Mammadov and Giyas Ibrahimov were ordered detained for 4 months by Khatai District Court’s decision of May 12, 2016.
Elchin Sadigov said in his motion he requested lifting hand and finger prints from the surfaces of the folded packets and polyethylene bags containing drugs allegedly found on the arrested youth activists and appointing forensic examination to identify whom those prints belonged to.
“A forensic examination has to be appointed to lift the hand and finger prints on the surfaces of the folded plastic bag containing the 2,607 grams of drugs allegedly found in the left jacket pocket of Giyas Ibrahimov and the red polyethylene bag containing 1 kilogram and 10 grams of drugs allegedly found in his home, and to identify whom these prints belong to. I also requested a forensic examination for identification of the fingerprints on the surfaces of the folded packet containing 2,904 grams of drugs allegedly found in the right back pocket of Bayram Mammadov’s jeans and the black polyethylene bag containing 1150 grams of drugs allegedly found in his home,” the lawyer said.
Elchin Sadigov added that unless the motions were granted, it would prove that Giyas Ibrahimov and Bayram Mammadov had nothing to do with the said heroin and that the heroin had been planted on the youths and their homes by police officers.