Activist Rza Safarsoy Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison

On Wednesday, the trial of activist and veteran of the First Karabakh War, Rza Safarsoy, accused of illegal possession of firearms, concluded at the Khazar District Court. The prosecutor recommended a sentence of 3 years in prison for him. The defense requested Safarsoy's acquittal, arguing that his guilt had not been proven during the trial.

Safarsoy himself claimed that the TT pistol, which the prosecution alleged he had illegally kept, had been planted in his apartment by police officers. He stated that he did not expect a fair verdict, as he believed the court was carrying out a political order. The court sentenced Safarsoy to 2 years and 9 months in prison.

*Safarsoy is a veteran of the First Karabakh War. In 2018, he was already arrested on charges of illegal weapons trafficking after sharply criticizing the mass arrests in the city of Ganja. He was sentenced to 2 years in prison, but after 7 months, the Appeals Court released him, reducing his sentence.

His current arrest took place on November 23, 2020 - two days after he sharply criticized the arrests of the leaders of Abzas Media on social media and called for protests.