BCA leaves Elshan Abbasov in custody

The Baku Court of Appeal did not grant a complaint against the arrest of Elshan Abbasov, an activist of the “Muslim Unity” movement, and left him under arrest for four months.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on the evening of March 3, Elshan Abbasov, a member of the “Muslim Unity” movement, was detained in the city of Barda, not far from his place of work.

On March 5, the Narimanov District Court of Baku pronounced a decision to arrest Elshan Abbasov for four months. He was charged under Article 234.4.3 of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan (large-scale drug trafficking), under which the activist faces a sentence of 5 to 12 years of imprisonment. The court’s decision on arrest was challenged at the Baku Court of Appeal (BCA). In court, Elshan Abbasov denied the accusations, advocate Nemat Karimli told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

“Elshan Abbasov said that the police subjected him to psychological pressure to force him to confess that drugs were allegedly discovered with him. In the appeal court, the defendant said that he did not plead guilty and that the drugs [were planted to him],” the advocate emphasized.

The defender pointed to the violation of the Elshan Abbasov’s rights after the detention: the failure to provide the detainee with the opportunity to contact his relatives and invite an advocate of his choice. However, the BCA dismissed the appeal against the arrest.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on March 15, 2022 at 01:56 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.