Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BAKU1029
2007-08-17 12:02:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Baku
Cable title:
AZERBAIJANI BAPTIST PASTOR IMPRISONED
how-toVZCZCXRO3060 PP RUEHDBU DE RUEHKB #1029 2291202 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 171202Z AUG 07 FM AMEMBASSY BAKU TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3690 INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 2292 RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 0650
C O N F I D E N T I A L BAKU 001029
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
FOR EUR/CARC
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/17/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM AJ
SUBJECT: AZERBAIJANI BAPTIST PASTOR IMPRISONED
REF: BAKU 00794
Classified By: POL/ECON Chief Joan Polaschik for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
).
C O N F I D E N T I A L BAKU 001029
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
FOR EUR/CARC
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/17/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM AJ
SUBJECT: AZERBAIJANI BAPTIST PASTOR IMPRISONED
REF: BAKU 00794
Classified By: POL/ECON Chief Joan Polaschik for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
).
1. (SBU) Emboff met with Baku-based Baptist leader Ilya
Zenchenko on August 14 to learn more about the recently
concluded trial of Baptist Pastor Zaur Balaev. Per reftel,
Balaev, a pastor in the northwestern village of Aliabad, was
arrested on May 20. Balaev was charged with using violence
against police officers who asked him to come to the local
police station. Local Baptists strongly disagree with the
authorities' claim that Balaev resisted coming to the police
station and physically assaulted the police.
2. (SBU) Zenchenko confirmed that Balaev was sentenced on
August to two years at the Ganja prison for assaulting fie
police officers. Zenchenko observed that the tiff sentence
was a surprise, as many Baptists hd thought Balaev would get
only six months. Balev intends to appeal his case to an
Azerbaijani ppeals court, and Zenchenko said that if
necessar, the Baptists would apply to the European Court of
Human Rights.
3. (C) Zenchenko, who witnessed parts of the trial, claimed
the government's case against Balaev was unprofessional and
based on shaky evidence. The prosecution rested on the
testimony of four or five witnesses, none of whom were
first-hand witnesses at the scene of the alleged crime. Two
of the witnesses admitted that they learned of Balaev's
attack while at a teahouse and a local bazaar. Zenchenko
stated that there was some discontinuity between the
prosecution's witnesses' testimony. One or two of the
witnesses also admitted that they signed a statement against
Balaev without fully understanding what the statement said.
The government's physical evidence was a police car door that
Balaev reportedly damaged and a police uniform that had a
button torn from it.
4. (C) Zenchenko thanked the Embassy for its efforts to
raise Balaev's case with the GOAJ. In response to our
question as to whether local Baptists have been able to
access Balaev since his imprisonment, Zenchenko said that he
has not yet tried to meet with Balaev. Zenchenko pledged to
contact us if he has a problem in accessing Balaev.
DERSE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
FOR EUR/CARC
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/17/2017
TAGS: PREL PGOV PHUM AJ
SUBJECT: AZERBAIJANI BAPTIST PASTOR IMPRISONED
REF: BAKU 00794
Classified By: POL/ECON Chief Joan Polaschik for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
).
1. (SBU) Emboff met with Baku-based Baptist leader Ilya
Zenchenko on August 14 to learn more about the recently
concluded trial of Baptist Pastor Zaur Balaev. Per reftel,
Balaev, a pastor in the northwestern village of Aliabad, was
arrested on May 20. Balaev was charged with using violence
against police officers who asked him to come to the local
police station. Local Baptists strongly disagree with the
authorities' claim that Balaev resisted coming to the police
station and physically assaulted the police.
2. (SBU) Zenchenko confirmed that Balaev was sentenced on
August to two years at the Ganja prison for assaulting fie
police officers. Zenchenko observed that the tiff sentence
was a surprise, as many Baptists hd thought Balaev would get
only six months. Balev intends to appeal his case to an
Azerbaijani ppeals court, and Zenchenko said that if
necessar, the Baptists would apply to the European Court of
Human Rights.
3. (C) Zenchenko, who witnessed parts of the trial, claimed
the government's case against Balaev was unprofessional and
based on shaky evidence. The prosecution rested on the
testimony of four or five witnesses, none of whom were
first-hand witnesses at the scene of the alleged crime. Two
of the witnesses admitted that they learned of Balaev's
attack while at a teahouse and a local bazaar. Zenchenko
stated that there was some discontinuity between the
prosecution's witnesses' testimony. One or two of the
witnesses also admitted that they signed a statement against
Balaev without fully understanding what the statement said.
The government's physical evidence was a police car door that
Balaev reportedly damaged and a police uniform that had a
button torn from it.
4. (C) Zenchenko thanked the Embassy for its efforts to
raise Balaev's case with the GOAJ. In response to our
question as to whether local Baptists have been able to
access Balaev since his imprisonment, Zenchenko said that he
has not yet tried to meet with Balaev. Zenchenko pledged to
contact us if he has a problem in accessing Balaev.
DERSE