Mehman Huseynov’s Appeal Hearing Kicks Off

Baku Court of Appeal held a preliminary hearing on blogger Mehman Huseynov’s case. Judge Aflatun Gasimov presided over the hearing.

At the hearing, plaintiff’s representative Alirza Abilov confirmed the lawsuit of Nasimi District Police Department Chief Musa Musayev.

Huseynov’s lawyers filed three motions, asking the court to release him from the glass-encased dock and allow him to sit next to his lawyers; to change his pre-trial detention measure; and, to examine the appeal by conducting a repeat investigation.

Lawyer Fuad Agayev called the court’s attention to the fact that Huseynov had been kidnapped in the centre of Baku and taken to Nasimi police office, where he had suffered physical pressure, and was later charged with defamation when he informed the public about this.

According to the lawyer, the court of first instance had issued its judgment without conducting objective investigation. The lawyer noted that the review of the recordings of the dashboard camera in the police car and the surveillance cameras on the roads and inside the building of the police office would reveal who had committed a crime. The lawyer added that Musayev had to testify in court personally.

Mehman Huseynov pled not guilty during his testimony and said he did not know Musayev. Huseynov was interrupted by the judge at the point, where he said that fifteen bordellos were operating in the territory of Nasimi district. The judge set the next hearing for 10 November .

Background: On 29 September , the Supreme Court partially granted Mehman Huseynov’s appeal and referred his appeal back to the Court of Appeal.
He was arrested after publicly speaking about how he had been tortured in the police custody in January of this year. In response to his statement, Chief of Nasimi District Police Department Musa Musayev filed a defamation lawsuit against him.

On 3 March , Surakhani District Court convicted Mehman Huseynov of defamation (Article 147 of the Criminal Code) and sentenced him to two years in jail.
Baku Appeal Court has previously dismissed the appeal against the judgment.

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