Calling person criminal without trial violation of presumption of innocence, Azerbaijani official
By Sara Rajabova
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry official has said the fact that Azerbaijani citizen suspected in a murder is being called a criminal without a trial as well as his maltreatment, are a violation of the presumption of innocence.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Elman Abdullayev told journalists on October 17 that this issue should be solved legally.
Last week, a 25-year-old Russian citizen from Moscow, Yegor Shcherbakov, was killed in the Biryulevo district which stirred up public resentment and eventually led to riots. On October 15, the police detained Azerbaijani citizen Orkhan Zeynalov in the Moscow vicinity on suspicion of the murder and brought him to the capital.
The Azerbaijani side sent a note to the Russian Foreign Ministry on October 16, with the request of the provision of consular assistance to Zeynalov.
Abdullayev said Azerbaijan's Embassy in Russia will provide all the necessary consular assistance to Zeynalov who was detained and the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has already given an appropriate instruction to the diplomatic mission in Moscow.
There is a consular convention between Azerbaijan and Russia and all issues should be regulated on the basis of this document, he said.
He went on to say that the embassy has already appealed for a meeting to be organized with Zeynalov and awaits a reply.
Noting that the Russian media paid more attention to this matter than it needed and overstated the issue.
Abdullayev said this incident is a domestic crime and exaggeration of this issue in the Russian media outlets is also contrary to the presumption of innocence.
The Azerbaijani Embassy in Russia is also investigating the murder of Azerbaijani citizen Ruslan Garakhanli a few days ago in Moscow, he added.
Meanwhile, Azerbaijani ambassador to Moscow Polad Bulbuloglu said in his interview to the Russian Dojd TV channel that Zeynalov should be provided with an access to the lawyer and if necessary, interpreter and all processes should go within the legal framework.
According to him, the official representative of the Azerbaijani Interior Ministry in Russia in engaged in the investigation of the case.
Bulbuloglu said that any talks, decisions, any "wasting breath" before the court ruling are pointless.
He added that Russia is a multinational and multi confessional country and it is unacceptable to elevate such cases to the level of politics and hysteria.
Commenting on the issue, Russian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Vladimir Dorokhin said that Russia cherishes relations with Azerbaijan and will do everything to ensure that regardless of the decision of court on Zeynalov, this episode not affected the relations between the two countries, "those good feelings that we entertain Azerbaijanis working in Russia, doing more and important work for our country."
Head of the public and political issues department of presidential administration of Azerbaijan Ali Hasanov said that the Russian law enforcement bodies' inadequate measures and an inciting effect of the local media can evoke a boomerang effect.
He said regardless of a person, who committed the crime, it must be investigated in line with the country's legislation.
Hasanov said this process must not be a push to restrict business of other foreign citizens, the rights of people living and working legally in this country, and to shape a negative opinion about them in the local community.
Mustafa also said that it would be better to consider this issue at the official level, at the level of intergovernmental relations.
He added that this issue is related not only to the public, given the fact that every day there could be hundreds of such incidents, which are discussed in the framework of the law.