The trial in the case of Said Bayburin has begun

On November 20, the Ordzhonikidzevsky District Court of Ufa began the trial of the case of Imam Said Baiburin. He is charged under part 1 of article 280 (“Public calls for extremist activity”) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Only three people were admitted to the meeting, chaired by Justice of the Peace Galina Vereshchak. Bailiffs did not allow people with beards or in Muslim clothes to enter the building. According to the lawyer Svetlana Avdzhayeva, "the session was held very quickly, the judge did not delve into the nuances, did not comply with the rules, ignored some requirements of the Code of Criminal Procedure, refused to enter the comments of the defense into the minutes of the court session."

On November 21, bailiffs, having no reason to do so, removed from the meeting a parishioner of the Falyak mosque, who had come to support the defendant, and tried to use force against lawyer S. Bayburin. The referee refused to respond to violations.

The Office of the Federal Bailiff Service for the Republic of Bashkortostan conducted an internal check on the fact of the disruption of the court session on November 21.

“The facts of the use of physical force against the lawyer Avdzhayeva S.I. have not been established, since there were no appeals to the medical institutions of Ufa from the participants of this court session about the injuries received. Physical force against Mr. Gataullin R.N. was used only as an escort by the arm to the office to draw up a protocol," the bailiff service said in a statement to Islam.ru .

"The facts of disrespectful attitude and insult to Count Avdzhaeva S.I. on the part of the deputy head of the department of the bailiff for the OUPDS Alekseev were not confirmed. The bailiffs for the OUPDS, while ensuring the protection of the court building and ensuring the safety of judges, participants in the trial and witnesses, acted in accordance with the requirements of the Federal Law "On Bailiffs", that is, legally," the Office of the Federal Bailiff Service believes.

S. Baiburin's lawyer S. Avdzhayeva believes that "the facts indicated in this response do not correspond to reality."

The trial continued in December. See Project Ark announcements for the December 4 and 5 meetings.

On January 22, 2008, a regular court session was held. According to the Ark Project, there were again procedural violations.

On January 11, during a court hearing, Ramzan Makhmudov, the former imam of a mosque in the city of Asha (Chelyabinsk region), confirmed that, as an imam, he invited Said Baiburin to his mosque to teach Islam. According to Makhmudov, the reason for turning to Baiburin was his high competence in matters of Islamic theology. In addition, Ramzan Makhmudov noted that the views expressed by Baiburin did not differ from the accepted understanding of Islam. In addition, he stressed that Baiburin called for resolving all internal conflicts and contradictions in a peaceful way, showing mutual understanding.

At the hearing on March 28, according to Project Ark, Justice of the Peace Galina Vereshchak refused to hear witnesses for the defense, because it delays the legal process. Lawyer S. Avdzhayeva drew attention to the fact that the evidence of the prosecution was announced within 5 months, and the evidence of the defense - only from March 21, i.e. 6 working days, and not yet exhausted, however, the judge stopped hearing defense witnesses.

On April 7, the last court session on this case took place in Ufa. 47 witnesses confirmed the peaceful nature of S. Baiburin's sermons. The announcement of the verdict is scheduled for April 16.

November 20, 2007 in the Ordzhenikidzensky District Court of Ufa, a hearing on the case of Said Baiburin began // Project "Ark". 2007. November 21.
On December 4, 2007, in the Ordzhenikidzensky District Court of Ufa, under the presidency of the Magistrate Galina Vereshchak, the hearing in the case of Said Baiburin continued // Ibid. 5th of December.
On December 5, 2007, in the Ordzhenikidzensky District Court of Ufa, under the chairmanship of the justice of the peace Galina Vereshchak, the hearing in the case of Said Baiburin continued // Ibid.
In the case of Said Baiburin, the interrogation of anonymous prosecution witnesses continues // Ibid. 2008. January 23.
The imam of the mosque from the city of Asha did not confirm the guilt of Said Baiburin // Ibid. 11 February.
The court refused to hear defense witnesses in the case of Said Baiburin // Ibid. March 28th.

Sources

• UFSSP in the Republic of Bashkortostan was excited by the publication on Islam.Ru on the case of the "Ufa imam" // Islam.ru. December 4th.
• Witnesses of Imam Baiburin's extremism were not found // IA Islamnews. 2008. April 8.