On November 7th Sabail district court held a closed hearing on the case of Bizim Yol newspaper journalist and moderator.az website editor Parviz Hashimli. Hashimli and the person allegedly involved in the case were brought to court by masked men.
Despite of the journalist’s family members’ repeated requests, Parviz was not allowed to see them.
Journalist criticized the ombudswoman for not attending his trial and for showing lack of attention on his case.
After the hearing, Hashimli’s lawyer Elchin Sadigov said that the defense has filed a complaint against the gross procedural violations committed during the search and seizure operations conducted in Hashimli’s apartment. The defense filed a motion for allowing the only witness of these actions, Parviz Hashimli’s wife, to testify. Although the judge had at first agreed, he changed his mind after objections from the public prosecutor and investigator, and rejected the motion.
Another motion requesting copies of search and examination protocol was also denied.
Meantime, the judge granted the investigative agency’s petition for extending Hashimli’s detention term for another three months, and decided to prolong his detention period. The defense intends to appeal the decision.
Background: Bizim Yol newspaper journalist and moderator.az editor-in-chief Parviz Hashimli was detained on September 17 by employees of the Ministry of National Security. OnSeptember 18 the journalist was handed down a two-month pretrial detention sentence by the Sabail District Court under two articles of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code: Article 206.3.2 (smuggling of firearms on preliminary arrangement by an organized group) and 228.2.1 (illegal obtaining, storing, carrying firearms and their spare parts on preliminary arrangement by an organized group).