Azerbaijan, Baku / Тrend corr. K. Zarbaliyeva / The preliminary hearing of the appeal of the former senior criminal investigator of the Interior Ministry of Azerbaijan, Haji Mammadov, and members of his gang continued at the Court of Appeal on 15 May presided by Judge Shahin Yusifov. Some 14 defendants attended the hearing, while Mammadov was absent.
Ogtay Garakmazli, attorney of the former department head of the Central Criminal Investigation Department, Kamil Sadradinov, interceded for a transfer of the criminal case to the Court on Grave Crimes due to infringement of his client's rights by the court in the first instance.
Adil Ismaylov, the attorney of the former head of the Central Criminal Investigation Department, Zakir Garalov, solicited the judges to reopen the case, to change the court decision on detention, to resume the investigation and to provide the participation of witnesses at the hearings. Ismaylov urged them to listen to the testimony of witnesses that are the Prosecutor General Zakir Garalov, his deputy Rustam Usubov, the head of a department at the Prosecutor General's Office, Eldar Ahmadov, the head of the Baku City Central Department, Maharram Aliyev and the deputy head of the Investigation Department of the Ministry of National Security, Talat Mammadov.
Aghazahid Gulamov, the attorney of Novruz Nuriyev, interceded for a separate hearing of the case on his client. The participants of the hearing asked to allow the applications.
The State Prosecutor requested a 2 hour adjournment in order to express his position on the issue. The hearing lasted until 4pm.
At the ruling of the Court on Grave Crimes presided by Judge Ali Seyfaliyev, the following have been sentenced to life-term imprisonment: Haji Mammadov (seizure of property), Farhad Mammadbayov (seizure of property), Eldar Rahimov (seizure of property), Malik Mammadov (seizure of property), Zakir Nasirov (seizure of property), Kamil Sadraddinov (seizure of property), Huseyn Abdulvahabov, Musa Dabuyev, Aslanbey Chintamirov and Yagir Mammadov.
Nizami Abdullayev (seizure of property), Sidek Abdulvahabov and Rovshan Aghayev have been sentenced to 15 years. Naila Guliyeva (seizure of property) sentenced to10 years. Faig Guliyev and Elchin Aliyev (seizure of property) were condemned to a 9 year imprisonment. Mehman Hasanov, Fariz Gamidov and Elshan Mirzayev have been condemned to a 2 year suspended sentence.