Azerbaijan’s former Minister of Health, Ali Insanov, and current prisoner of Detention Institution No. 13, is facing new criminal charges.
According to one of Insanov’s lawyers, Torghul Babayev, it is not yet known what charges have been brought against the former minister.
Arrested in October of 2005 on charges of plotting a coup, instigating mass unrest and abuse of executive authority in order to acquire government property, Insanov is currently serving an 11 year prison term that began in 2007.
His jail term is currently scheduled to end in 2018, unless the new criminal case finds him guilty of additional charges.
In 2005, Insanov was arrested along with the then-Minister of Economic Development, Farkhad Aliyev, and his brother, Rafiq Aliyev – the head of Azpetrol.
Insanov’s apartments and summer house were searched in the immediate aftermath of his arrest. 1.289 million dollars, 884,000 Euros and 25 kilograms of gold, diamonds and other valuable stones were found on his properties.
The government also accused Isanov of acquiring large numbers of government properties, including 3 hospitals, 4 clinics, one medicine dispensary, a medical institute and a pharmacy. These properties and institutions were valued at more than 3 billion dollars. It is conjectured that these properties were acquired starting in 1993, up to 2005.
These properties were confiscated following the verdict of the trial in 2007. In addition to being given an 11 year jail term, he will also be banned from politics for 3 years upon his release.
At the trial in 2007
, Insanov claimed he was innocent:
“I am a political prisoner, arrested for political reasons, and I don’t recognize myself as being guilty of anything, not by a single point in the Criminal Code.”
However, in 2005, Insanov supposedly wrote an appeal to President Ilham Aliyev immediately after his arrest asking for forgiveness.
The new charges against the former minister will be made public shortly.
