Azerbaijan, Baku / Т corr K. Zarbakiyeva / A hearing on the action of the former Azerbaijani Minister for Health, Ali Insanov, regarding the executive secretary of the New Azerbaijan Party, Ali Ahmadov, was held on 24 April in the Sabayil District Court presided by Judge Ilham Aliyev. Insanov was not in attendance.
The appearance of Insanov in court was agreed upon during the last hearing. For this purpose the judge applied to the management of the Investigation Cell of the Azerbaijani Ministry of National Security (MNS), where Insanov was held. However, as Insanov had been forwarded to the Investigation Cell 1, the MNS failed to ensure his appearance in court. An appeal will be sent to the administration of the reformatory where Insanov is currently held. The attorneys of the former Minister, Toghrul Babayev and Aghaveish Shahverdi, did not participate in the hearing due to the expiration of the contract signed with Insanov.
The attorney of Ahmadov, Ikram Shirinov, applied for submission of the action to the district court where his client lives. The court rejected the appeal. According to the resolution made by the court, further hearings should be held in the Sabayil District Court, as the office where Ahmadov works (the building of New Azerbaijan Party) is situated in the district. Due to the right of the defendant to submit an appeal regarding the decision of court within 5 days, the next hearing was postponed for an undefined period.
Insanov accused Ahmadov of insulting his honour and dignity in his article under the headline "Ali Insanov Changes Heydar Aliyev's Way" published in Azerbaijan newspaper on 7 March. The ex-Minister demands that Ahamdov's apologizes and has imposed criminal proceedings against him.
Insanov was detained in October, 2005. He was accused of attempting a coup d'etat and mass riots. By the decision made by the Azerbaijani Court on Heinous Crimes dated 20 April, Ali Insanov was found guilty for appropriation of property and abuse of power and sentenced to an 11-year imprisonment.