23 February 2009, 19:00
Azerbaijan: oppositionists sentenced to conditional terms
On February 20, the Sabirabad District Court put a full stop in the trial of two activists of the local branch of the Party of the People's Front of Azerbaijan (PPFA) Movsum Askerov and Rovshan Sadykhov.
They were found guilty of drug dealing and sentenced to 12 and 6 months of conditional deprivation of freedom, accordingly.
The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by Sattar Shakhlarov, local PNFA leader, that Askerov and Sadykhov "were convicted under forged indictment."
"The only guilt of these young men was in their collecting signatures in support of the agitation group "For Karabakh and Republic", which voices against the amendments to the Constitution planned to be put to the referendum on March 18," said Mr Shakhlarov.
Leila Yunus, Director of the Institute for Peace and Democracy (IPD), believes that in spite of the fact that the oppositional activists have been released and punished conditionally, "their rights were violated all the same."
In his turn, Annagi Gadzhibeili, President of the Association of Lawyers of Azerbaijan (ALA), has expressed the readiness of his association to render free-of-charge legal help to PPFA activists Askerov and Sadykhov in appealing against the verdict at higher instances.
Author: Faik Medzhid Source: CK correspondent
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