Azerbaijan, Baku / Trend corr. S.Ilhamgizi / The court appeal trial of the arrest of a member of the Imishli regional Council of the Azerbaijani National Independent Party (ANIP) Musa Rahim Manafoglu was held on 8 January, Manafoglu's attorney Annagi Mammadli said.
Rahim is the activist of the party's Imishli district department. He was arrested on 23 August and sentenced to five years in prison. Currently he is being detained in Bayl prison until consideration of his appeal. In 2007, Manafoglu held a protest action against bribery, low levels of education and the arbitrariness of the police. He did not allow his children to attend their classes, launched a hunger strike, and hung posters on the roof of his own apartment. Manafoglu called upon the authorities to stop arbitrariness in Imishli.
According to his attorney, Manafoglu denies all the accusations stated against him. The first session on the appeal on the decision of court was held in the Appeal Court of the Ali-Bayramli region of Azerbaijan on 25 December. During the session the attorney demanded to the launch of an investigation.
During today's process the judge Ahmad Nurmammadov partially satisfied the petition. The attorney submitted the petition in order to involve additional witnesses in the case.
The next process was scheduled for 15 January.