Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 7
By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:
A court session on a criminal case against Khadija Ismayilova started at the Baku Court of Grave Crimes August 7.
The session was chaired by Judge Ramella Allahverdiyeva.
Ismayilova, during the session, made a motion for being provided with an opportunity to get familiar with court protocols after the session ends.
However, Judge Allahverdiyeva said that this contradicts the law.
As the judge said, there will be enough time to get familiar with the protocols during three days after the judicial examination ends.
Afterwards Ismayilova's lawyers, protesting against the aggrieved party's absence in the court session, made a motion to suspend the session and to continue it after the aggrieved party comes to the court.
The judge, in turn, said the aggrieved party was informed about the place and time of the court session, but didn't attend it.
Judge Allahverdiyeva said the judicial board made a decision on the participation of the aggrieved party in the next court session in mandatory order.
In turn, Ramazan Hadiyev, the public prosecutor, said the continuation of the court session without the aggrieved party is not contrary to the law.
Afterwards, Ismayilova's lawyers made a motion for her to be able to leave the place behind the glass partition in the courtroom and sit near them to hold the necessary consultations.
But the public prosecutor said that enough time was allocated for the consultations, adding that Ismayilova's being behind the glass partition is a requirement of the preventive measure chosen with regard to her.
The judge, in turn, said conditions will be created for the lawyers to hold consultations with Ismayilova and her being behind the glass partition in the courtroom is important in terms of her security.
Thus, this motion of the defence was rejected as well.
Afterwards, Ismayilova's lawyers made a motion for withdrawal of the tax evasion charges from her.
In turn, the public prosecutor said an investigation was held in this regard and all the charges have been proved. Therefore, he asked the court to reject this motion.
Ismayilova's lawyers further said the Radio Azadliq's Baku office has an account at the International Bank of Azerbaijan (IBA).
In this regard, they made a motion for sending a request to the IBA with regard to presence of a sample of a signature associated with the bank account.
But the public prosecutor said the charges in the criminal case have been proved, and there are bank documents as well among the criminal case materials.
From this point of view, there is no need to send the request, he said.
The public prosecutor read out the charges against Ismayilova. Then, the defendant testified and answered a number of questions of the public prosecutor.
The court session was adjourned, and afterwards it continued.
But after the break, Ismayilova made noise, violated the course of the trial and refused to answer the public prosecutor's questions.
The judge repeatedly warned her about the inadmissibility of such acts, but the defendant continued to resent.
Due to these acts of Ismayilova, the judge had to announce another break.
Ismayilova was arrested under the article 125 (incitement to suicide) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.
Then, new charges were brought against her under the articles 179.3.2 (large-scale misappropriation and embezzlement), 192.2.2 (illegal entrepreneurship), 213.1 (tax evasion) and 308.2 (abuse of official duties) of Azerbaijan's Criminal Code.