ARRESTS IN MARCH 2020
3 March
Ilham Aliyev has been accused of collaboration with Iranian intelligence services.
Ilham Aliyev
Ilham Aliyev (a namesake of the Azerbaijani President), who has been an acting Chairman of the Islamic Party of Azerbaijan since 2011, was detained on 29 February 2020. That day he was summoned to the State Security Service where he was convicted under the Article 274 (Treason to the Motherland) of the Criminal Code of the Azerbaijan Republic and immediately arrested.
On 2 March 2020 the Sabayil District Court of Baku City chose a measure of restraint arrest for 4 months.
At the court, I. Aliyev’s defence was represented by a lawyer appointed by the authorities, who, in his turn, was not active throughout the trial. The relatives of the arrested man engaged another lawyer, Osman Kazimov, who submitted an appeal against his unlawful detention on 3 March.
“Ilham Aliyev had an appointed lawyer at the trial. I was engaged by Aliyev’s family to defend him. I have not seen my client yet. So far, I have not been able to contact the investigator in order to get a written document enabling me to meet with my client in the detention centre. I hope I will be allowed to see him in the next few days. Today, on 3 March, I wrote an appeal against Osman’s arrest. The Law stipulates that an appeal can be lodged without the defendant’s knowledge”, Kazimov told the press.
Further, the lawyer added that he has not familiarised himself with the details of the accusation yet.
“All we know is that the IPA chairman is accused of collaborating with the Iranian intelligence services,” he explained.
In their turn, on 1 March, the IPA leaders, who remained at large, circulated a statement on the party’s Facebook page stating that Aliyev had not committed any crimes and should be immediately released:
“We, the members of the IPA board, are certain that Ilham Aliyev has had no acts of a criminal nature. We view his detention as a misunderstanding and biased. We consider it as a wrongful step against the Islamic theologian, as a violation of human rights, as an unacceptable act in a country that has chosen the democratic course of development.”
15 March
An activist of the “Muslim Unity” Movement has been again arrested
Elvin Muradov
On 13 March 2020, Elvin Muradov, a member of the Muslim Unity Movement and poet, left his home in Baku to attend the Friday prayers at the mosque, whereupon his phone line was cut off and his family did not know what had happened to him. His family members being concerned called the Ministry of Interior Affaires hotline and also contacted the Yasamal district administration office. But they were unable to clarify the fate of the religious activist. On March 14, the relatives called the Main Department for Combating Organized Crime within the Ministry of Internal Affairs, where they were told that Elvin Muradov had been detained but he would soon be released. The same answer was also provided to them on 15 March.
Arzu Abdulla, a member of the Public Committee on the Protection of the Rights of the Islamists Under Arrest, said the following about the religious activist who had been detained:
“Elvin is a member of the “Muslim Unity” Movement. He is the author of a poem and song dedicated to Tal Bagirzade, the leader of the Movement who, in 2017, was arrested and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment, the poem was about the unjustified persecution of him and his agony for his expressions. Elvin also wrote some other pro-choice lyrics, which are popular among the believers. Elvin has been living in Russia for some time. On 5 February, upon his arrival, he was detained and taken to the General Department on Combating Organized Crime, where he was held until midnight and then released. It happened close to the time of the Parliamentary elections and his arrest could have raised considerable international attention. And now he has been arrested again.”
Elvin Muradov’s song about Tal Bagirzade is called “Freedom Worshipper”. The author shared it on his Youtube channel, Elvin Murvetoglu, on 12 December 2019, and in a short time the song had been listened to by a great number of people.
On 5 February 2020, Muradov was already detained shortly after returning from Moscow. He was taken to the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and released late in the evening.
19 March
A “Muslim Unity” Movement activist faces criminal charges
Elvin Muradov
It was not until 16 March 2020, that details of the 13 March arrest and the charges brought against Elvin Muradov, a member of the “Muslim Unity” Movement and poet, finally became known. Initially, at the Ministry of Internal Affairs Muradov’s relatives were told that they had no information about the religious activist. Then, they confirmed his location but assured that he would be released in a short while. It was only on 16 March that an investigator called Elvin’s family to inform them that back on 14 March, the Narimanov District Court of Baku had selected a preventive measure against Muradov in the form of three-month-detain on charges of illegal weapons trafficking. Then he was transferred to the Baku Pre-trial Detention Centre 1 in the town of Kyurdakhani located outside Baku.
Arzu Abdulla, a member of the Public Committee on the Protection of Rights of the Islamists Under Arrest, as well as Muradov’s relatives, have doubts about the credibility of the charges and have stressed that there had been procedural irregularities in Muradov’s case.