Azerbaijan, Baku / Trend corr. К.Zarbaliyeva / The decision of the preparatory hearing of the Appeal Court over the lawsuit of the former Azerbaijani Health Minister, Ali Insanov, against his previous sentence was upheld. The judge of the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan, Muzaffar Agazade, said on 24 July that the appeal by Insanov to the Supreme Court against the decision of the preparatory hearing of the Appeal Court was rejected.
During the preparatory hearing Insanov's lawyers petitioned the court to reconsider the criminal case against the minister and to change the sentence of imprisonment to another penalty, but the petition did not satisfy the judge. As a result of this, Insanov and his lawyers made an appeal to the Supreme Court against the decision for the preparatory hearing. Consideration of the appeal was postponed to a future date.
The former minister was arrested in October 2005 for an attempted coup d'etat, appropriation and embezzlement of state property, exceeding his commissions and responsibilities, and other serious crimes and was sentenced to eleven years imprisonment and confiscation of his property. At present, Ali Insanov is being detained at the Penal Service of the Bail Investigation cell. The minister is demanding a transfer to the medical institution of the Penal Service due to a spinal hernia.