Sons of jailed Azerbaijani opposition cleric face trial over school fight

Taleh Baghirzade

Two teenage sons of jailed Azerbaijani Islamist leader Taleh Baghirzade are facing criminal charges over a schoolyard fight, in a case their family says is politically motivated.

The brothers, aged 15 and 17, were charged following a brawl on 7 April at School No. 26 in the Buzovna settlement near Baku.

Investigators informed the family on 17 July that the probe had concluded and the case was being sent to court.

The elder brother faces charges of group hooliganism and intentionally inflicting moderate bodily harm, which carry a potential penalty of up to five years in prison. The younger brother has been charged with group hooliganism, which carries a maximum sentence of three years.

Their mother, Leyla Ismayilzade, told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) that the investigation was biased and designed to target her family.

"We thought they would not go this far over a ordinary school fight, but it seems anything is possible," Ms Ismayilzade said.

She said police from the Khazar district department refused to examine CCTV security footage from the school or question approximately 15 pupils who witnessed the altercation. Only one student was interviewed, she added.

According to Ms Ismayilzade, the fight began when her younger son was attacked inside the school grounds by an individual who was not a pupil at the institution. Her elder son intervened after seeing his brother being beaten, resulting in the other party sustaining a broken nose.

Attempts to reach a settlement with the injured youth's family were unsuccessful, and RFE/RL was unable to contact them for comment.

The teenagers' father, Taleh Baghirzade, is the leader of the banned Muslim Unity Movement and one of Azerbaijan's most prominent opposition figures.

He has been imprisoned since November 2015 following a violent police raid in the town of Nardaran, in which two police officers and four residents were killed.

Baghirzade was subsequently sentenced to 20 years in prison on charges including attempting to overthrow the state and terrorism — charges he and his co-defendants denied, alleging they were tortured into confessing.

The European Court of Human Rights later ruled that Azerbaijan had violated Baghirzade's rights regarding torture and unlawful detention, ordering the government to pay compensation.