11:53, 30 November 2018

Head of Georgian SAM released in Baku

Mirtagi Asadov. Photo from his personal page on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/2188770051137902/photos/pcb.2213666401981600/2213665558648351/?type=3&theater

The Baku Court of Appeal (BCA) has pronounced a decision to release from custody Mirtagi Asadov, the head of the Supreme Spiritual Administration of Muslims (SAM) of Georgia, detained in Azerbaijan. International resonance contributed to the release of the religious figure, states Khalid Agaliev, an expert in the field of law.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that according to his spouse Shakhana Gadjieva, Mirtagi Asadov, a citizen of Georgia, was detained while crossing the Georgian-Azerbaijani border and taken to Baku. He was arrested for 30 days on the charge of failure to obey to a lawful demand of the police and petty hooliganism. On November 8, Mirtagi Asadov was detained after scolding loudly in the street while talking on the phone and did not obey to a lawful demand of the police, the protocol indicates.

According to his colleagues, Khalid Agaliev said that at trial, Mirtagi Asadov "stated that he gave confessions to the police under pressure." "Apparently, the decision on the release was made at the political level," Mirtagi Asadov suggested.

14 NGOs of Georgia expressed concern over the detention of Mirtagi Asadov. They called on the authorities of Georgia and Azerbaijan to take measures to restore the rights of the detained religious figure, reported the website of the NGO "Georgian Young Lawyers' Association".

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on November 30, 2018 at 00:34 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: Faik Medjid

Source: CK correspondent