The Baku Court of Appeal today dismissed the complaint against the extension of the arrest of public activist Bakhtiar Hajiyev, his lawyer Agyl Laidj told Turan.
On April 20, the Khatai District Court extended the term of Hajiyev’s arrest for another two months.
According to the lawyer, Hajiyev in the Court of Appeal reiterated the groundlessness of the charges brought against him.
Hajiyev also noted that he had previously written to the head of state a request to put an end to lawlessness against him and facilitate his release, but has not yet received a response.
*Bakhtiar Hajiyev was arrested on December 9 last year on charges of hooliganism and contempt of court. On the same day, the Khatai District Court sentenced him to 1 month and 20 days in prison.
On December 15, Hajiyev went on a hunger strike demanding his release. He stopped his hunger strike on December 28 after persistent calls from members of the public and family members. But on January 9, after the Court of Appeal refused to release him from prison, he resumed his hunger strike.
On January 21, the court extended Hajiyev’s detention for another month, and on February 23, it was extended for another two months – on April 28.
The repeated petitions of lawyers to change the preventive measure chosen for Hajiyev to house arrest or release him on bail before the start of the trial were not satisfied by the courts.
On February 28 – on the 51st day of the hunger strike, Hajiyev stopped his hunger strike.
Representatives of the US State Department, the US Senate, the European Union, the Council of Europe and a number of international NGOs have repeatedly demanded Hajiyev’s release from prison.