Baku: The next court hearing was held regarding the special prosecution complaint against Isfandiyar Akhundov, also known as Sharurlu Isfandiyar, the owner of ‘Sharur MTK.’
According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the hearing took place at the Binagadi District Court, under the oversight of Judge Vusal Taghiyev. During the proceedings, Emil Samandarov’s lawyer, Asim Abbasov, presented a motion to the court electronically.
The lawyer highlighted that the expert opinion included the term ’embezzlement,’ which is recognized as a criminal subject in the relevant articles of the Criminal Code. However, the opinion did not address the term ‘fraud,’ and no investigation into this aspect was conducted. Despite certain amounts being mentioned in video evidence, there was no documentation provided on them.
Furthermore, the lawyer pointed out that the director of the Institute of Linguistics of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences was appointed during Ramiz Mehdiyev’s tenure. Mehdiyev is currently facing charges of treason. Some media outlets have suggested a connection between Ramiz Mehdiyev and Isfandiyar Akhundov, prompting accusations of bias in the expert opinion. Abbasov requested that the opinion be excluded from the evidence list.
Defense lawyer Ulvi Nasibli argued that any attempt to link Isfandiyar Akhundov to Ramiz Mehdiyev should be taken humorously. Lawyer Shahbaz Karimli emphasized the importance of reliable evidence, asserting no connection between Mehdiyev and Akhundov.
Akhundov himself stated that there is no connection with Mehdiyev, mentioning that the State Security Service is handling the matter and that appropriate legal actions will be taken. Lawyer Abbasov noted that media articles alleging connections between the two were published back in 2020 when Mehdiyev was in office.
During the court investigation, Abbasov mentioned that both the accused and his child engaged in discussions and calls were made regarding an agreement, with records existing to support this. The lawyer demanded acknowledgment of a mistake made in the case.
The court left the motion to exclude the expert opinion from evidence unconsidered, stating it would be evaluated in the final decision. A previous motion to question the expert who provided the opinion was also left unconsidered and not granted by the court.
Following the examination of documents, the court concluded the investigation. Emil Samandarov’s lawyer requested time to speak, and the next hearing was scheduled for December 22. A special indictment was filed against Isfandiyar Akhundov under Articles 147.2 (defamation) and 148 (insult) of the Criminal Code by Emil Samandarov, head of ‘Progress 2016’ MTK, accusing Akhundov of presenting Samandarov as a fraud in an interview.