Economist Fazil Gasymov Claims Torture and Political Persecution in Baku Court Hearing
Aug 30
1 min read
Yesterday, on August 29th, the preliminary hearing in the case of economist Fazil Gasymov was held at the Baku Court for Serious Crimes. The economist was arrested in Turkey last year and subsequently extradited to Azerbaijan, where he was charged under Article 204.3.1 of the Criminal Code - manufacturing, acquisition or sale of counterfeit money as part of an organized group.
What truly raised concerns was, however, the fact that Gasymov later informed the Prosecutor General, Ombudsman, local and international public that he testified under torture. Furthermore, the defendant, who stated that the persecution he faced was politically motivated, reported that during the investigation he was threatened with reprisals against his family. From then on, Fazil Gasymov has continued to maintain his innocence and has been on a hunger strike since June 14th, to protest against the unjustified criminal prosecution and torture he allegedly endured.
During the hearing, the economist complained about the pressure the guards put on him and, additionally, the defense lawyer asked the judge to have the economist Gubad Ibadoglu, also involved in the affair, as a witness to the trial. Other requests made by the defendant were the possibility to be transferred to house arrest – which was denied by the judge -, as well as to assure transparent communication between him and his lawyer, which is not being ensured as of now.
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