15:36, 16 August 2003

Trial on men accused of national overturn attempt has started in Azerbaijan

On August 14 the Court Martial for Grave Crimes started a trial on the case of two residents of Gyandzha - Rasim Abbasov and Khasrat Gasanov. They are accused by the article "Preparation for Violent Power Usurpation".

According to the materials of the case, these two men, being ecclesiastics, called the faithful to the violent overthrow of the power in Azerbaijan.

The accused Rasim Abbasov made a deposition at the sitting of the court. He asserted that he denied his previous statement on the preparation of violent power usurpation as he had made it having yielded to threats and moral pressure.

The accused said there were no talks on the plans of a national overturn at Dzhuma Mosque in Gyandzha.

According to his words, four other men convicted within the same case in April 2003 were subjected to tortures at the Secret Service Department. They were beaten, tortured with current, their fingers were broken. Abbasov was threaten he would be subjected to the same tortures if he did not give a required statement, contended the prisoner.

Source: TURAN Information Agency (Azerbaijan)