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The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan confirmed on March 23 the arrest of opposition politician Tofig Yagublu. According to the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, on March 22, at about 15.00 in the Nizami district of Baku, a Toyota Corolla, driven by Yagublu and VAZ-2107 driver by Elkhan Jabrailov, collided.
“Despite the fact that the accident occurred through the fault of Tofig Yagublu, he without any serious reason inflicted injuries to Elkhan Jabrailov and his wife, Javahir Jabrailova, with his fists and wrench,” the press service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs said.
A lawsuit has been filed in Nizami district police department under the Article 221.3 (hooliganism committed with the use of a weapon, or an object used as a weapon) of the Criminal Code. Yagublu is detained as a suspect. Jabrailov and his wife were interrogated as witnesses. The investigation is currently ongoing.
Yagublu’s lawyer Elchin Sadigov cannot meet with him.
“On March 22 evening I arrived at the police, but they did not let me in. Today the situation is the same. They tell me that the head of the investigation department and the investigator are not there. It is hard to believe. All this is a gross violation of Tofig Yagublu’s rights to defend,” Sadigov wrote on his Facebook page.
The PFPA leader Ali Kerimli wrote on his page that before the arrest, Yagublu managed to call him and tell him that his car was hit when he was standing in the parking site. At the same time, the driver of another car attacked him, so he did not get out of his car and blocked the car door.
According to the Article 221.3 Yagublu may be imprisoned from three to 7 years.
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