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The Deputy Chairman of Azerbaijani opposition party Musavat, Tofig Yagublu at the trial on Ismaili events has declared that the leadership of General Prosecutor’s Office for a long time has had a grudge against him for his investigation of mass killings in Oil Academy. This is reported by Azerbaijani news agency Turan.

According to Turan, the prosecution declared that the customer of killings in Oil Academy was an Armenian, Mardun Ghumashyan who was a citizen of Georgia. Yagublu went to Georgia and found out that Ghumashyan was a common man, the law enforcement bodies didn’t have any claim on him and the Azerbaijani government didn’t appeal to Georgian authorities in regard to Ghumashyan.

Yagublu said that the riots in Ismaili were not organized by opposition. “It was a popular protest against the bureaucratic tyranny,” he noted.

Note that the riots in Ismaili region started in the evening of 23 January 2013 after a road accident that involved the nephew of the head of the region Nizami Alekperov and the son of the Minister of Labour of Azerbaijan Fizuli Alekperov, Vugar Alekperov, happened. His car collided with another car after which Alekperov started to insult local people. As one of the residents of Ismaili region said the son of the minister took from his pocket a wad of money and said, “You have no honor (Geyret), I can buy your mothers and sisters by this money.”

According to the Deputy Chairman of Musavat party, the investigation estimated the material damage caused by the riots but didn’t ask for what money the former head of executive branch of Ismaili region Nizami Alekperov who had a modest salary bought that luxurious house and expensive cars.

The second defendant, leader of the REAL movement Ilgar Mammadov as well made a speech at the trial. He declared that after the collapse of Soviet Empire several khanates emerged in its space, one of which is Azerbaijan, where human rights are strongly violated.

Mammadov said that they arrested him not to let him put his candidature in presidential elections. When judging by the proposal of the prosecutor, that is to sentence Mammadov to eight year imprisonment, it turns out that until 2020 he won’t be able to take part in elections.

The head of the movement added that the court’s decision is not important for him, rather he is interested in International Community’s attitude. He claimed that due to the participation of the representatives of U.S. embassy, EU countries and missions in the trial, International Community has objective understanding of the issue.

Note that on 12 April 2009 as result of clashes in Oil Academy 12 men were killed and 13 wounded. Farda Gadirov, the initiator of clashes committed suicide on the spot. Those accused of the conspiracy, Javidan Amirov, Nadir Aliyev, Najaf Suleymanov were sentenced to life imprisonment. Arif Gabulov was sentenced to 11 year imprisonment. Except Suleymanov all the defendants confessed that they had testified under pressure.

Ghumashyan Mardun Grigorevich, 60-years old Armenian, citizen of Georgia was named as the customer of the massacres in Oil Academy of Azerbaijan. It was reported that he was under the investigation of Interpol. However, correspondent of newspaper Yeni Musavat Tofig Yagublu determined to find out the truth went to Georgian village Shulaver and without any help from Interpol found Ghumashyan in the courtyard of his house. The interview with 60-year-old baker became a sensation. As it turned out Mardun Ghumashyan didn’t know anything about Farda Gadirov who initiated the massacres in Oil Academy.

Moreover, when Ggumashyan learnt that Azerbaijani authorities declared him a “terrorist”, he appealed to the General Prosecutor’s Office and Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, where he learnt that Azerbaijan made no appeals about his arrest. On its turn, Azerbaijani newspaper Zerkalo appealed to the law enforcement bodies of Georgia. “Person on duty of Ministry of Internal Affairs told our correspondent that the Ministry didn’t get any appeals in regard to Mardun Ghumashyan. This proves that Ghumashyan told the truth,” Zerkalo wrote.