Two members of religious movement missing in Baku
Two members of religious movement missing
Two members of the religious movement “Muslim Unity” have disappeared in Baku. Their family members have no information about where they are being held. The Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that they also did not have any information about the detention of such persons. Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal in Baku did not satisfy the complaint of another member of this organization.
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On Thursday December 1, Nijat Aliyev, a member of the religious movement “Muslim Unity” (DME), disappeared in Baku. According to information received from the organization itself, Aliyev was taken by men in civilian clothes and taken away to an unknown location.
Relatives of Nijat Aliyev noted that he left the house in the daytime and did not return. It is known that Nijat works as a taxi driver. At about one in the afternoon he left for work, but after a while he stopped answering calls.
Yenigul Aliyeva, Nijat’s mother, told Turan news agency that she had already contacted the police. “The local police say they are looking for him,” the woman added.
On Friday December 2 at 11am, another member of the DME, Samir Babayev, was detained in Baku by unknown people. Nothing is known about his fate either.
The press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs stated that they had no information about the detention of Aliyev and Babayev.
Complaint not upheld
Today the Baku Court of Appeal rejected a complaint against the arrest of Shahin Gadirli, a member of the Muslim Unity movement. He is charged with drug trafficking.
According to lawyer Zibeyda Sadygova, the investigation claims that 7 g of methamphetamine were found in the accused’s possession. Gadirli denies the accusation.
The lawyer also pointed out the groundlessness of the charges. According to her, the case alleges that Gadirli purchased drugs “for sale”, but there is no evidence that he was involved in drug trafficking.
Sadigova added that after Gadirli was detained they were not allowed to contact his relatives or invite his own lawyer. For eight days the family was not informed about where he was being held.
The defense plans to file a motion to change the preventative measure to house arrest.
Movement leader goes on hunger strike in prison
DME leader Taleh Bagirzadeh, who is serving a sentence in prison, has been complaining of health problems.
According to lawyer Bahruz Bayramov, he and another lawyer Fakhraddin Mehdiyev visited Bagirzade in Penitentiary No. 12 in Baku.
The lawyer said that Bagirzadeh has been on hunger strike since last Saturday and drinks only water: “He has a fever from time to time. He was not isolated from other prisoners, he was not put under medical supervision.”
Bagirzade demands an end to the violation of his rights and inhuman treatment, but did not complain about physical coercion. He rejects accusations attributed to him and his supporters of ties to Iran.
In 2015, Taleh Bagirzade was arrested during a special operation in Nardaran and sentenced to twenty years in prison on charges of terrorism, attempting to change the constitutional order, creating an illegal armed group, and more. He was recognized as a political prisoner.
“He said that he had always supported the independence of Azerbaijan. During the second Karabakh war, Bagirzadeh and his movement called on Iran to side with Muslim Azerbaijan, not the occupier Armenia.
The Muslim Unity movement also opposed the position of Iran, which is trying to block the Zangezur corridor,” the lawyer added.
Leyla Ismailzade, Bagirzade’s wife, told reporters that on the evening of November 29 she received a call from the Baku office of the International Committee of the Red Cross:
“When Taleh started a hunger strike, I turned to the Red Cross to inquire about his condition. Yesterday, at about five o’clock in the evening, I was told that the Red Cross was informed by Penitentiary No. 12 that Taleh was isolated in a separate room and put under medical examination.
