April 9, prosecutor Mubariz Mirili asked the judge for a prison sentence of nine years for rights activist Rasul Jafarov. The request followed the hearing at the Baku Grave Crimes Court.
During the hearing, the presiding judge denied the motion raised by Jafarov’s lawyer to invite the expert who gave his expert opinion on the case and the related documentation.
In his defense, Jafarov said the appropriation and other charges are baseless. “The Human Rights Club began its work in 2010. Back then, according to the existing legislation, even if the organization was not registered by the Ministry of Justice, its work was not described as illegal. In addition, we have applied three times to the Ministry of Justice for registration and each time our applications were unanswered. After our last application, we took the case to the court”, said Jafarov.
The hearing will continue on April 14.
Rasul Jafarov was arrested August 2, 2014. He is charged with illegal entrepreneurship, tax evasion, and abuse of authority.