Representatives of the Council of Europe have called on Azerbaijani authorities to release human rights defender Anar Mammadli, who was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Specifically, PACE rapporteur on political prisoners Azadeh Rojhan asserts that his prosecution is political in nature and that fundamental principles of a fair trial were violated during the proceedings.
The trial of the "sixth Bakhchisaray group" of Crimean Tatars continued in the Southern District Military Court. The defense presented two witnesses who spoke favorably of the defendants, noting their active participation in social life and their service to others.
The defense also requested documents substantiating the installation of listening devices in the homes of the defendants by security forces. However, the court found this request unfounded.
As a reminder, on March 5, 2024, ten Crimean Tatars were detained in the Bakhchisaray and Dzhankoy districts of Crimea. Memet Lyumanov, Mustafa Abduramanov, Aziz Azizov, Rustem Osmanov, Enver Khalillaev, Nariman Ametov, Ali Mamutov, Vakhid Mustafaev, and Arsen Kashka were sent to pretrial detention. Former imam Remzi Kurtnezirov was placed under house arrest. All defendants were accused of involvement in the activities of the Islamic party Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is banned in Russia. The organization operates without national legal restrictions in Ukraine and most countries.