On May 5 Aflatun Gasimov presided over the hearing at the Baku Court of Appeal where Article 70 of the Criminal Code was applied to sentence former MP Gular Ahmadova to a three year conditional probation. Ms. Ahmadova was released from the court. (APA)
Ms. Ahmadova was criminally prosecuted after former rector of the suspended Azerbaijan International University, Mr. Elshad Abdullayev released scandalous video recordings, in which she demanded 1,000,000 AZN ($1,200,000) to secure his seat in the Parliament. At that time, she had to give up the MP mandate. Last year Baku Court of Grave Crimes sentenced her to three years in prison. Having considered the facts such as her three times MP mandate, her social-political activities, health condition, personality, having a minor under her custody and the offense being here first, the judge has softened her sentence. Dissatisfied with the verdict, her lawyer Mr. Afsar Talibov appealed.
Gular Ahmadova has been charged with articles 178.3.2 (seizing private property in large quantitative by abusing the trust) and 307.2 (concealment of a serious crime without prior promise) of the Criminal Code.