Advocates of Azerbaijani citizens, convicted in NKR complain against verdict

The defence of Shakhbaz Guliev and Dilkham Askerov, citizens of Azerbaijan, who were convicted in the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic (NKR), has complained to the Court of Appeal (CoA) about the verdict passed by the first instance court.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on December 29, 2014, the Stepanakert court sentenced Askerov to life imprisonment and Guliev – to 22 years in prison. They were accused of illegally crossing the NKR's border, espionage, possession of ammunition, kidnapping and murder of a minor, a murder of an officer of the Armenian Army and a theft. The defendants denied the charges of murders and espionage, and partially admitted their guilt in other episodes.

Shakhbaz Guliev does not recognize or partially recognizes particular points of the verdict; therefore, he appeals against it as a whole, said his advocate Arkady Israelyan.

Eric Beglaryan, the defender of Dilkham Askerov, will challenge the articles of the verdict, on which his client does not recognize his quilt; in particular, the murder of a minor, a theft of documents and a kidnapping.

Let us remind you that, according to the police of the NKR, Guliev, Askerov and Gasan Gasanov, the third member their grouping, who was killed during detention, on June 29, 2014, illegally crossed the border with the aim of running the intelligence activities. In its turn, the official Baku treats Guliev and Askerov as hostages. The NKR's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said that there are no political aspects in the case of Askerov and Guliev.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.