Woman accused in beating four men convicted in Azerbaijan

On April 22, the Surakhan District Court of Azerbaijan put a full stop in the case of Sayara Geidarova, accused of beating four men. The woman was sentenced to one year of conditional imprisonment.

Ms Geidarova's criminal prosecution began after her conflict with builders, who intruded in 2005 into the yard of the house where she lived in Ahmedly settlement in Baku. She tried not to admit the construction process and launched a conflict with the police and builders.

Public prosecutor Aidyn Aliev asked the court to sentence Geidarova, who is Category II invalid, to 4.5 years of imprisonment.

Sayara Geidarova herself, who holds a hunger strike from April 8, was forced to the courtroom in an ambulance accompanied by a local policeman. In her last plea she could hardly murmur that she was not guilty and asked to acquit her.

Mohammed Gagashly, Gejdarova's advocate, also asked the court to acquit his client, "as during the investigation her guilt was not proved and witnesses were contradictory."

On April 22, Geidarova could not appear at the trial because of poor health, and the verdict was announced without her presence. The judge sentenced Geidarova to 3 years of imprisonment. However, since in the course of preliminary investigation she spent 4 months and 15 days in custody, her term was reduced to 2 years, 7 months and 15 days. Additionally, the judge, taking into account that Geidarova is a Category II invalid and maintains her elderly mother, applied Article 70 of the Criminal Code on conditional punishment with a one year trial period.

Leila Yunus, Director of the Institute for Peace and Democracy, has regarded Geidarova's case as "another fact of arbitrariness and absence of independent judicial authority in Azerbaijan."

She drew attention to the fact that the judicial investigation in this case lasted for 4 years and during this time, in her opinion, plenty of violations were admitted. "One of the most scandalous facts of lawlessness was the decision of Natavan Tagieva, judge of the Surakhan Court, to place Geidarova behind bars for unlimited term," said Ms Yunus.

Ms Geidarova herself has stated that she is going to continue her hunger strike. "I'll pass through all judicial instances up to the Strasbourg Court, if I survive, of course," she said.

We remind you that in response to Geidarova's demand to stop construction in the yard of the house where she lives, Police Captain Davud Rasulov used force against her. However, after the woman lodged a complaint against the police officer, a criminal case was initiated against her.