In Azerbaijan, Fatullaev's advocate demands independent examination

The results of the blood and urine analyses of Einullah Fatullaev, imprisoned editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Real Azerbaijan", became known in Azerbaijan. In the end of 2009, a new charge of illegal drug storage was presented to him. Isakhan Ashurov, his advocate, treats the analyses results as ambiguous and demands an independent expert's appraisal.

Mr Ashurov said in his conversation with the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that "the presented results deserve no trust." "Thus, the general conclusion of the examination says that Einullah Fatullaev is not a drug addict and needs no forced treatment. However, the other conclusion on the analyses of blood and urine runs that they have traces of drugs," he said.

"Therefore, we've demanded an independent examination," he has added. Also, as Mr Ashurov believes that "there are grounds not to trust the doctor." "We asked to have him interrogated," the lawyer said.

According to his version, "when the results of the analyses were presented to Einullah Fatullaev himself, he categorically rejected them treating them as a complete falsification." "He said that he had never used not only heroin but any other drugs, and the examination was just another illegal action with the aim to leave him in custody," said Mr Ashurov.

Emin Guseinov, Director of the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS), has also expressed doubts of the reliability of the examination results, and of the objectivity of the investigation as a whole.

The Karadag District Police Department, in charge of the investigation under the new case against Fatullaev, refused from any comments.