Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 10
Trend:
Court session on the criminal case against Khadija Ismayilova continued August 10 at the Baku Court of Grave Crimes.
The session was chaired by Judge Ramella Allahverdiyeva.
During the court session, public prosecutor Ramazan Hadiyev asked aggrieved party Tural Mustafayev about the reason for his absence in the last court session, as he was summoned to the current session compulsorily.
Mustafayev answered that he was unable to take part in the last court session due to health problems.
Afterwards, Ismayilova asked the court for an opportunity for organization of defense by lawyer Yalchin Imanov in line with the article 147 of the Criminal Code, and to settle some technical issues, namely, to provide her a right to make phone calls twice a week.
Then Ismayilova's lawyer, Fakhraddin Mehdiyev made a motion for Tural Mustafayev's interviews, made with the newspaper Yeni Musavat on May 3 and August 4, to be included to the evidence list.
The court left the motion open.
Afterwards, the aggrieved party, Mustafayev gave testimony. He said his suicide attempts were not related to Ismayilova.
Noting that in May, September and October 2014, he attempted suicide, Mustafayev said all of these attempts were related with problems in relations with his ex-fiancée Rovshana Rahimova, and with his weak nerves.
Mustafayev went on to say he met Ismayilova in September and October 2013, and there was a friendly relationship between him and the defendant.
He also said that that up to January-February 2014, he maintained good relations with Ismayilova.
Mustafayev also testified that he left the Azadlig Radio in November 2013 at his own request, and before that he wrote SMS messages to Ismayilova and conducted online correspondence with her consulting with friends.
Aside from that, Mustafayev said he doesn't consider himself an aggrieved party.
After that, the judge read out Mustafayev's testimony he gave during the preliminary investigation, and said there are contradictions between that testimony and the one he has given at the court session.
The judge noted that Mustafayev, in his testimony during the preliminary investigation, said that after returning from an event in the Sabirabad district in October 2013, he and Ismayilova drank alcoholic beverages. After that, Ismayilova offered him intimacy, and Mustafayev agreed. Mustafayev repeatedly stayed overnight in Ismayilova's house, and they often met.
During the preliminary investigation, the aggrieved party also testified that Ismayilova repeatedly insulted his honor and dignity, and for this reason he tried to commit suicide.
Then the public prosecutor asked the aggrieved party about the causes of the contradictions in his testimonies. Mustafayev said he slandered Ismayilova, linking it with his psychological condition.
Thereafter, the aggrieved party's mother, Nazakat Mustafayeva gave testimony.
As Mustafayeva said, she wasn't aware of her son's suicide attempts.
Mustafayeva added that she was informed about it by phone just after her son got poisoned with medicine. She also said her son has no problems with the state of mind.
She also testified that after her son's returning to Baku, he lost interest in his family. She said Mustafayev's first marriage was annulled May 8, 2014.
On May 28, 2014, Mustafayev engaged to Rovshana Rahimova. As the aggrieved party's mother said, her son explained his suicide attempt with his being tired of life.
Afterwards, Rovshana Rahimova, the former fiancée of Mustafayev, gave testimony.
Rahimova said she and Mustafayev were engaged for six-seven months.
She noted that the reasons for Mustafayev's three suicide attempts weren't related to Ismayilova, saying the reasons were his mental problems. The witness also testified that she and Mustafayev repeatedly had conflicts, and he often drank.
The aggrieved party's mother, protesting against the witness's testimony and noting that Rahimova herself is an alcoholic, left the courtroom.
Continuing to testify, Rahimova said that due to problems with Mustafayev's state of mind, they consulted a doctor, who said that his disease is incurable.
Rahimova noted that the last major conflict with Mustafayev was on October 15, 2014.
The witness said Mustafayev underwent treatment for 25 days in a psychoneurological clinic in Mashtaga.
Rahimova noted that Mustafayev, upon meeting her, said he and Ismayilova were friends.
Afterwards, Rahimova answered the public prosecutor's questions.
Then, the trial was adjourned.
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.