The trial of Joshgun Musayev, who was involved in creating posters for a protest in Soyudlu village, Gadabey district, and subsequently arrested on drug charges, has concluded.
The Baku Court of Serious Crimes, led by Judge Eldar Ismayilov, sentenced Musayev to three years in prison.
Musayev, who was arrested in June 2023, faced charges regarding the acquisition, storage, preparation, or transportation of narcotics with the intent to sell in large quantities. The indictment alleges that he was detained by the Department for Combating Organized Crime on Ashiq Molla Juma Street near the Nariman Narimanov metro station on June 22, 2023, at approximately 10 a.m., based on operational information. During a search, 6.4 grams of heroin were reportedly found in his pocket.
The case was transferred to the Baku Court of Serious Crimes in November 2023. However, during the trial, the charges were altered. Musayev, born in 1990, asserted that his arrest was related to his involvement in making protest posters, which he claimed led to his being framed on drug charges.
A witness from the village testified that Musayev received a phone call while buying construction materials in Ganja. The caller, who identified as a police officer investigating a problem with a mobile phone sale, was listed in the phone’s contacts as “Mahabbat DTX.”
Musayev was then taken to the Ganja branch of the Department for Combating Organized Crime, where he was questioned about the Soyudlu protests. He was later transported to Baku, where he reported being subjected to psychological pressure and threats, leading him to sign a confession. Musayev claimed that, following the protests, he and other villagers were arrested on drug charges and that he was denied contact with his family for 40 days. He has two young children.
Musayev’s wife corroborated his account of his detention in Ganja during her court testimony.
In court, employees of the Department for Combating Organized Crime claimed they had received operational information about Musayev’s involvement in illegal drug trafficking, which led to his detention and the discovery of three bundles of heroin during a search. They alleged that Musayev purchased the drugs from an individual for 50 manats.
After more than eight months of trial, the court, comprising Judge Eldar Ismayilov, Javid Huseynov, and Sabuhi Huseynov, revised the charges against Musayev. The original charge was amended to address the acquisition, storage, preparation, or transportation of narcotics without intent to sell. Musayev was ultimately sentenced to three years in prison.
