Ganimat Zahid summoned to the Prosecutor General's Office

Ganimat Zahid

The Prosecutor General's Office in Azerbaijan has started criminal cases against two well-known opposition people who live outside the country. These people are Ganimat Zahid, who used to be the editor of the Azadlıq newspaper, and Altay Goyushov, who is a historian. Both are accused of publicly stirring up trouble against the government.

On November 17, Ictimai Television (ITV) broadcast an official order for Ganimat Zahid to come to court. Zahid lives in France. He is supposed to go to the Chief Investigation Department of the Prosecutor General's Office on November 24 to go over the charges against him, now that the first part of the investigation is done.

Zahid is charged under Article 281.2 of the Criminal Code. This article covers Public calls against the state, done more than once or by a group of people. He is being charged as an accused person

The government claims that Zahid used YouTube to spread open calls that encouraged people to use force against the current legal government in Azerbaijan on July 4 and July 18, 2018. Because of this, the Sabayil District Court has issued an arrest warrant for him that lasts four months, even though he is not there.

The Prosecutor General's Office said that Zahid knows his rights. These rights include being able to have a lawyer with him during the court case. Zahid has said that the accusations are not true.

Zahid has spoken out against the government before. In 2007, he was arrested in Azerbaijan and charged with hooliganism. He was sentenced to four years in prison but was let out in 2010 under a pardon. He now lives in another country.