The trial of popular TikToker Rövşən Süleymanov, known by his online alias “Roşka,” has officially begun following his arrest on drug-related charges earlier this year.

On July 15, a preliminary hearing was held at the Baku Court for Serious Crimes, presided over by Judge Roman Alakbarli.

According to Bizimyol.info, during the session, the defendant's personal details were clarified and his legal rights and responsibilities were explained.

Following the formalities, Süleymanov’s attorney, Mirjalal Muradli, submitted several motions to the court. Most notably, he requested that the case be returned to the investigative phase, arguing that his client’s rights were violated during the investigation. Muradli stated that multiple procedural breaches occurred, and that continuing with the trial without addressing these violations would be unjust.

The state prosecutor opposed the motion, asserting that no such violations had taken place that would prevent the case from being reviewed in court.

Ultimately, the judge denied the request to return the case to the investigative stage. The trial is set to proceed, with the next hearing scheduled for July 22.

Süleymanov has been in custody since late January. He faces charges under Article 234.1-1 of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code, which relates to the possession of large quantities of narcotics without the intent to sell.

Notably, this is not Süleymanov’s first encounter with law enforcement. In November of last year, he was sentenced to 45 days of administrative detention. He was released in January after serving that term, only to be re-arrested shortly thereafter.

Earlier this year, several TikTok influencers who used inappropriate or offensive language during livestreams were detained on similar narcotics charges.

Reported by Aytan, Bizimyol.info