Incident

Incident

Officer accused of setting up a radical religious group: We had planned to destroy US, Israeli and UK ambassadors to Azerbaijan

07 January 2009 14:59 (UTC +04:00)

APA reports that judge Islam Neymanov presided over the process. Defendant Elshan Mammadov said he refused his lawyer. The other defendant Ramin Jamilov giving testimony said he was retired officer, had been assistant of the military unitâ€™s commander on political issues, department chief of the â€œOlimpiya dunyasiâ€ newspaper and had worked in the National Olympic Committee. Jamilov did not admit his guilt and said he did not have links with any armed group.

He noted that the indictment contained inaccurate points about his acquaintance with the other defendants. Jamilov said he had established relations with the other defendants since March, 2007. The defendant said there was a plan of attack on the embassies in Azerbaijan and added: â€œLetâ€™s not make our nation miserable, for the sake of the United Statesâ€™ gratitude.â€

Kamran Asadov: â€œRelease us and let us make jihad against the Jews in Palestine. We should do this, if we are Muslims, this is our duty,â€ shouted.

Following this, taxi driver Tofig Mammadov gave testimony in capacity of a sufferer. Mammadov said Kamran Asadov threatened him and wrested his car. Tofig Mammadov said Kamran Asadov told him they will give the car back, if he does not name them. According to Mammadov, Kamran Asadov told him â€œWe have a plan to destroy three important persons.â€

Judge asked Kamran Asadov who those persons were. Asadov said they were U.S. ambassador Anne Derse, and ambassadors of Israel and UK.

The hearing will continue on January 8.

Kamran Asadov, Bakhtiyar Orujov, Farid Jabbarov, Elshan Mammadov, Kamran Babayev, Samir Mehbaliyev, Terlan Karimov, Edgar Aliyev, Ramil Karimov, Shirvani Babayev, Samir Aliyev, Yalchin Maharramov, Orkhan Alizadeh, Hajibala Huseynov, Azer Ibadov, Shahriyar Mehraliyev, Ramin Jalilov, Rovshan Abdulaliyev, Ilkin Ismayilov and Vugar Aliyev are accused of setting up a radical religious group, attempting to start military struggle, attacking on LUKoil petrol station in Baku, preparing terror attack on the U.S. and UK embassies in Azerbaijan.