Release Human Rights Defender Mr. Hilal Mamedov

Human Rights Ambassador William Nicholas Gomes asked to ensure fair trial of Azerbaijan activist.

(YORK, UK) - Mr. William Gomes, has asked President Ilham Aliyev to drop all the charges brought against Hilal Mamedov immediately, and consequently release him as Mr. Gomes believes that these charges are solely motivated by his legitimate and peaceful human rights work.

Sadly this is not a highly unusual scenario in countries like Azerbaijan, it is extremely important to project the story of this individual to prevent others from suffering a similar fate.

The Human Rights Ambassador for Salem-New.com, has asked the President Ilham Aliyev to guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Azerbaijan are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment.

In addition to his role as a human rights defender, Mr Hilal Mamedov is the chief editor of the Talysh minority newspaper Tolyshi Sedo. His case is being heard in the Baku 'Court of Grave Crimes', Hilal Mamedov's request to have a public trial by Judge Azer Orujov was denied, so it is being held behind closed doors.

The human rights defender faces charges of “illegal manufacturing, purchase, storage, transportation, transfer or selling of narcotics, psychotropic substances in large amount”, and “excitation of national, racial or religious hostility by person with use of the service position”. If found guilty, he faces up to 15 years' imprisonment.

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President Ilham Aliyev
Office of the President

Istiklal kuc. 19
1066 Baku
Azerbaijan

Your Excellency,
I am William Nicholas Gomes, Human Rights Ambassador for Salem –News.com.

I came to know about the situation from Front Line - The International Foundation for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders.

On 29 January 2013, the Baku 'Court of Grave Crimes' began to hear the case of human rights defender and chief editor of the Talysh minority newspaper Tolyshi Sedo, Mr Hilal Mamedov. This hearing took place behind closed doors, following the rejection of Hilal Mamedov's request to have a public trial by Judge Azer Orujov.

The human rights defender is charged with “illegal manufacturing, purchase, storage, transportation, transfer or selling of narcotics, psychotropic substances in large amount” under Article 234.4.3, “state betrayal” under Article 274, and “excitation of national, racial or religious hostility by person with use of the service position” under Article 283.2.2 of the Criminal Code. If found guilty, he faces up to 15 years' imprisonment.

On 30 January 2013, before the second hearing, the judge announced that it would be closed to the public. Only after a protest made by the defence lawyers were human rights defenders and relatives were permitted to enter the courtroom. In his speech during the hearing, Hilal Mamedov mentioned the severe punishment of his father and predecessor in the position of editor-in-chief of Tolyshi Sedo, Mr Novruzaly Mamedov. He spoke of his father's closed trial and death in custody.

Hilal Mamedov stated that as a result, he would refuse to participate in his trial. He ordered his lawyers not to represent him or he would report them to the Bar Association. The judge then threatened to sanction the lawyers if they obeyed this request by the defendant.

Hilal Mamedov finally decided not to refuse legal representation, but rather to limit their activity. According to the information available, the lawyers decided not to return to the courtroom on 30 January 2013 after a recess at 2pm.

I condemn the closed trial of Hilal Mamedov and the procedural irregularities in his case.

I urge the authorities in Azerbaijan to:

1. Drop all the charges brought against Hilal Mamedov immediately, and consequently release him as I believe that they are solely motivated by his legitimate and peaceful human rights work;

2. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Azerbaijan are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment

William Nicholas Gomes
Human Rights Ambassador for Salem-News.com
www.williamnichoalsgomes.com

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Salem-News.com Human Rights Ambassador William Nicholas Gomes is a Bangladeshi journalist, human rights activist and author was born on 25 December, 1985 in Dhaka. As an investigative journalist he wrote widely for leading European and Asian media outlets.

He is also active in advocating for free and independent media and journalists’ rights, and is part of the free media movement, Global Independent Media Center – an activist media network for the creation of radical, accurate, and passionate telling of the truth. He worked for Italian news agency Asianews.it from year 2009 to 2011, on that time he was accredited as a free lance journalist by the press information department of Bangladesh. During this time he has reported a notable numbers of reports for the news agency which were translated into Chinese and Italian and quoted by notable number of new outlets all over the world.He, ideologically, identifies himself deeply attached with anarchism. His political views are often characterized as “leftist” or “left-wing,” and he has described himself as an individualist anarchist.