Rasul Guliyev, a former speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament and the current chair of Azerbaijan Democratic Party (ADP) of the opposition coalition Azadlig (Freedom) was released on the 20-th of October by the verdict of the Ukrainian court. He was detained in Simferopol on the 17-th of October on the way to Azerbaijan, which he left in 1996 for asylum. He was detained through Interpol on the basis of Azerbaijani authorities? request. On the 21-st of October Guliyev left for London, but he told that he would come to Azerbaijan before Parliamentary elections (21-OCT-2005).

Though the Azerbaijani side claims for the refusal of Rasul Guliyev to land in Baku airport because of the fear to get arrested, the British air company London Executive Aviation distributed press-release on 18 October, which stated that Azerbaijani authorities did not permit Rasul Guliyev to arrive Baku. The press release was signed by the company?s executive manager George Galanopulos and explained that according to the flight procedure on October 14 the company asked Azerbaijani authorities for permission and presented a full list of passengers. The company received a positive reply from Ukrainian side, but no response from Azerbaijan. Only on the 17-th of October at 6:50 a.m. there was received the information from Azerbaijani air navigation that landing in Baku was prohibited.

The information was confirmed by the former British commander ? the colonel Bob Stewart, who was accompanying Guliyev as an independent observer. He said that the intention to land at Simferopol was to refuel the aircraft and move toward Azerbaijan. However, R.Guliyev received the information that his supporters were arrested in Baku, the airport was closed and here was no factual permission to land at Baku airport.

President Ilham Aliyev about R. Guliyev

In his interview to the correspondents of several foreign mass media outlets, including New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Bloomberg and Dow Jones/CNBC television channel, the president of Azerbaijan said ?Rasul Guliyev is a criminal and one of leaders of international Mafia. His crimes are known not only in Azerbaijan, but also throughout the world. He must face the court and be made responsible for his actions.” Aliyev added that Rasul Guliyev was not a politician; he was involved in certain economic fields. “We are waiting for him and take every efforts to bring him to justice as soon as possible,” said Aliyev.

Decision of the Ukrainian Court

Simferopol court adjudged detention of Rasul Guliyev at Azerbaijan?s request to be caused by political motives. The copies of the documents testifying a criminal record of Guliyev and Azeri court sentence on his detention were not attested by notary and signed by a judge. Guliyev had a Ukrainian visa testifying the absence of legal foundation for his detention. At the same time Guliyev has a status of a political refugee that is why the claims of the law-enforcement bodies of Azerbaijan are taken as politically motivated.
 
?There is no restriction in the movement of Rasul Guliyev, the former Azerbaijani Speaker,  Democratic Party of Azerbaijan,?  stated Andrey Dombrovskiy, the head of the Public Relations Center of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry in Crimea. However Dombrobskiy also added that the Prosecutor?s Office has a right to appeal on the sentence within three days. “Guliyev suffers from high diabetic grade,? Dombrovskiy said, underlining that the ex-speaker, may leave Ukraine at any moment he desires.
 
Ukraine-Azerbaijan: Oil or Democracy
Priorities and perspectives of Ukrainian-Azeri relations, cooperation of democratic forces of the two countries, arrest of Rasul Guliyev – these and other questions was discussed on the 20-th of October in Kiev at the international conference “Ukraine-Azerbaijan: oil or democracy” organized by the International Institute of Democracy.

Chairman of Musavat party Isa Gambar and his Deputy Sulheddin Akper, famous Ukrainian politicians and experts took part in the conference and answered the journalists? questions. There was signed the renewed memorandum between Isa Gambar and Our Ukraine parties. During the conference the deputy of Rada Sergey Katerenchuk stated that Ukraine had become a “victim” of the actions of the Azeri secret services and Baku must apologize before Kiev. According to him, he will try to obtain apologizes of General Prosecutor before Rasul Guliyev. Concerning the coming parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan, in case of their falsification Ukraine will bring up the question before European structures on non-recognition of their results.