Bloggers' lawyers appeal to court against police and prosecutor office

July 30, 2009

TURAN: On July 30 the lawyers Isakhan Ashurov and Elton Guliyev appealed to Sabail District Court against Baku Chief Police Department and Baku Prosecutor Office as well as against the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Azerbaijan's General Prosecutor Office.

According to Isakhan Ashurov, they claimed against the statements made by these bodies on July 11 and 14 of this year.

"In the statements the presumption of innocence of our clients, Adnan Hajizadeh and Emin Milli, was violated, and we ask the court to admit the violation," Ashurov said.

"The statements alleged the guilt of Hajizadeh and Milli, but only the court can find them guilty, and the trial has not been held yet," Ashurov said and added that it was a violation of Article 6.2 of the European Human Rights Convention.

Ashurov said that on July 30 he visited Hajizadeh and Milli in jail. "They did not complain of the conditions they were kept in, but noted they had not been permitted to meet with their parents and relatives. Such a restriction is illegal," the lawyer noted.

The statements of the above-mentioned bodies noted that Hajizadeh and Milli made hooliganism on July 8 in the Lebanese cafe, and beat two visitors; therefore their detention was legal.