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A TALYSH EDITOR AWARDED A PRIZE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
AZERBAIJAN
Translated from French
Hilal Mamedov, who is being prosecuted in Baku on charges of spying
for Iran for inciting ethnic hatred and illegal possession of drugs,
was awarded by the Azerbaijan Institute of Peace and Democracy on
price Isakhan Ashurov in recognition of its commitment to human
rights. Meanwhile, legal proceedings were adjourned last week after
a key prosecution witness was not presented to deal with issues of
lawyers Mamedov.
Hilal Mamedov, 53, is a member of the minority Talysh of Azerbaijan
and editor of a weekly newspaper in Talysh language named "Tolyshi
sado" (World Talysh). He was arrested in Baku in June, shortly after
a video was posted on YouTube where he is seen singing in Russian,
a traditional melody Talysh, the refrain "Who the hell are you? Why
not get lost? "The video is all the rage across Russia.
A subsequent search of the apartment Mamedov gave a small amount of
heroin with his family and activists of human rights in Baku believe
she was stashed by the police.
According to Rafiq Jalilov, co-chairman of a committee formed last
summer to defend the rights of Mamedov espionage charges against him
based solely on the testimony of Elman Quliyev. Quliyev was arrested
in 2007 in collaboration Mamedov's predecessor as editor of "sado
Tolyshi" literature professor Novruzali Mamedov (Mamedovs the two
are not related). Quliyev Novruzali Mamedov and were sentenced in
2008 Quliyev six years on charges of treason and Mamedov 10 years on
charges of spying for Iran. Mamedov died in prison the following year.
Testifying at the trial on March 6 Hilal Mamedov, Quliyev said he
had a conversation with Mamedov five hours in a tea house in Baku in
2006 during which Mamedov said the presence of two other men he had
contacts with Iran with which he worked to undermine state sovereignty
of Azerbaijan. (The Talysh are an Iranian ethnic group living on both
sides of the southern border of Azerbaijan and Iran.)
But the two alleged witnesses to this conversation, living abroad,
provided written testimony denying that he was present, according to
Halil Bagirov, one of the lawyers Mamedov. Bagirov also noted that
during his trial in 2008, Quliyev said he did not know Hilal Mamedov.
Quliyev was in prison at the time of arrest Hilal Mamedov end of June,
but has since been released before the end of his sentence. Nobody
knows where he is now, and why he did not appear before the court on
March 27.
Speaking last week at the official presentation of the award Isakhan
Ashurov another counsel Mamedov, Leyla Yunus, who heads the Institute
for Peace and Democracy, said that Mamedov was chosen as the first
recipient because activists of all human rights, journalists and
lawyers Azerbaijan year, he is currently in the most difficult
situation. She Mamedov characterized as a man who has always sought to
defend human rights, despite the pressure and threats he was subjected.
The price Isakhan Ashurov named after a former investigator of the
Ministry of Interior which fell within the scope of the Azerbaijani
authorities in 1994 and was jailed for "ultra vires." After his release
two years later, Ashurov began representing political prisoners and
prisoners of conscience. He died last year after a long illness.
Also last week, the Talysh Cultural Centre has decided to resume
publication of "Tolyshi sado" in both Talysh and Azeri languages.
According Jalilov, publication was suspended in June 2011, when Hilal
Mamedov was first submitted to the "pressure" of people he (Mamedov)
declined to name.
Thursday, August 8, 2013, Stephane © armenews.com
http://www.armenews.com/article.php3?id_article=88596
AZERBAIJAN
Translated from French
Hilal Mamedov, who is being prosecuted in Baku on charges of spying
for Iran for inciting ethnic hatred and illegal possession of drugs,
was awarded by the Azerbaijan Institute of Peace and Democracy on
price Isakhan Ashurov in recognition of its commitment to human
rights. Meanwhile, legal proceedings were adjourned last week after
a key prosecution witness was not presented to deal with issues of
lawyers Mamedov.
Hilal Mamedov, 53, is a member of the minority Talysh of Azerbaijan
and editor of a weekly newspaper in Talysh language named "Tolyshi
sado" (World Talysh). He was arrested in Baku in June, shortly after
a video was posted on YouTube where he is seen singing in Russian,
a traditional melody Talysh, the refrain "Who the hell are you? Why
not get lost? "The video is all the rage across Russia.
A subsequent search of the apartment Mamedov gave a small amount of
heroin with his family and activists of human rights in Baku believe
she was stashed by the police.
According to Rafiq Jalilov, co-chairman of a committee formed last
summer to defend the rights of Mamedov espionage charges against him
based solely on the testimony of Elman Quliyev. Quliyev was arrested
in 2007 in collaboration Mamedov's predecessor as editor of "sado
Tolyshi" literature professor Novruzali Mamedov (Mamedovs the two
are not related). Quliyev Novruzali Mamedov and were sentenced in
2008 Quliyev six years on charges of treason and Mamedov 10 years on
charges of spying for Iran. Mamedov died in prison the following year.
Testifying at the trial on March 6 Hilal Mamedov, Quliyev said he
had a conversation with Mamedov five hours in a tea house in Baku in
2006 during which Mamedov said the presence of two other men he had
contacts with Iran with which he worked to undermine state sovereignty
of Azerbaijan. (The Talysh are an Iranian ethnic group living on both
sides of the southern border of Azerbaijan and Iran.)
But the two alleged witnesses to this conversation, living abroad,
provided written testimony denying that he was present, according to
Halil Bagirov, one of the lawyers Mamedov. Bagirov also noted that
during his trial in 2008, Quliyev said he did not know Hilal Mamedov.
Quliyev was in prison at the time of arrest Hilal Mamedov end of June,
but has since been released before the end of his sentence. Nobody
knows where he is now, and why he did not appear before the court on
March 27.
Speaking last week at the official presentation of the award Isakhan
Ashurov another counsel Mamedov, Leyla Yunus, who heads the Institute
for Peace and Democracy, said that Mamedov was chosen as the first
recipient because activists of all human rights, journalists and
lawyers Azerbaijan year, he is currently in the most difficult
situation. She Mamedov characterized as a man who has always sought to
defend human rights, despite the pressure and threats he was subjected.
The price Isakhan Ashurov named after a former investigator of the
Ministry of Interior which fell within the scope of the Azerbaijani
authorities in 1994 and was jailed for "ultra vires." After his release
two years later, Ashurov began representing political prisoners and
prisoners of conscience. He died last year after a long illness.
Also last week, the Talysh Cultural Centre has decided to resume
publication of "Tolyshi sado" in both Talysh and Azeri languages.
According Jalilov, publication was suspended in June 2011, when Hilal
Mamedov was first submitted to the "pressure" of people he (Mamedov)
declined to name.
Thursday, August 8, 2013, Stephane © armenews.com
http://www.armenews.com/article.php3?id_article=88596