Today, the Sabunchu District Court issued a decision to sentence Azer Maqsudov, head of the toxicology department of the Clinical Medical Center and the country's chief toxicologist, to 4 years of imprisonment. According to the verdict, Azer Maqsudov must serve his sentence in a penal colony.
The court found Azer Maqsudov guilty in a road traffic accident in Sabunchu district in November 2023, which resulted in the death of Arif Acaloğlu, a teacher at Istanbul Marmara University and Turkologist.
Azer Maqsudov’s lawyer, Musa Abdınov, stated in an interview with Medianews.az that they do not consider the decision just: “We had applied to the court for an acquittal. However, the court issued a completely unjust verdict. We will appeal today's decision by the Sabunchu District Court to the appellate instance.”
The lawyer also said that until the appeal is reviewed, the Sabunchu District Court's decision will not be executed, meaning Azer Maqsudov will not be sent to a penal colony.
Regarding the verdict against Azer Maqsudov, some media reports presented him as the former head of the toxicology department of the Clinical Medical Center. Musa Abdınov stated that this representation is incorrect, because Azer Maqsudov has not been removed from the position of head of the toxicology department, continues to work in this role, and will remain so until the appellate instance makes a decision: “We hope that the appellate instance will issue a just verdict, acquitting him, and that Azer Maqsudov will continue to serve as head of the toxicology department even after the appellate review is concluded.”
Toğrul Ali,
Medianews.az
