Imran Aliyev, an activist talked about the things that happened to him in a Baku courtroom.

Imran Aliyev

He was speaking at an important hearing at the Baku Grave Crimes Court on April 28. Imran Aliyev is the head of a website called Meclis.info that watches what the government is doing. He told the court about the treatment he got from the people who arrested him and the bad things they did to him.

The judge, Roman Alakbarli was in charge of the court session. Imran Aliyev said that the police took him from the Heydar Aliyev International Airport and took him to the Baku City Main Police Department. He said he had a bag over his head the whole time and could not see anything.

Imran Aliyev said that the investigators, Toghrul Huseynov and Samir Ismayilov were very mean to him. They hit him. Used electric shocks to try to get him to sign some papers and tell them the passwords for his computer and phone. He said they did not let him have a lawyer and they wanted him to sign the papers quickly so they could go home.

Imran Aliyev also talked about the money that Meclis.info got from some organizations like the German Marshall Fund, USAID and the U.S. Embassy. He said that he paid taxes and everything was okay. The government is trying to say that he did something wrong with the money. He said that this is all because he is watching what the government is doing and they want to stop him.

Imran Aliyev’s father, Baghir Aliyev is very worried about his son’s health. Imran Aliyev has a back injury and needs to have a special test but the prison and the hospital are not agreeing on what to do.

Imran Aliyev did not want to answer the questions from the prosecutor because he thinks that this is all a plan to stop him from doing his job as an activist. He wants the people who hurt him to be punished and he wants to be able to defend himself.

The court said no to most of his requests. They said he can look at the evidence they have against him. This case is not about Imran Aliyev it is also about two other activists, Elgiz Gahraman and Tamella Musayeva. They are all in trouble and could go to prison for a long time.

The trial will continue on May 5. Imran Aliyev and the other activists are waiting to see what will happen to them. The Meclis.info case is a deal and many people are watching to see what the court will do.