Consideration of the complaint in the case of �illegal financing of the PFPA�

Baku / 29.04.19 / Turan: On 29 April the Baku Court of Appeal chaired by Ramiz Bayramov held a preliminary meeting on the complaint against the sentence of Agil Maharramov and the head of the Narimanov district branch of the party to the former executive power of the Gadabay region, now a citizen of the Russian Federation, Babek Hasanov. The lawyers requested a review of the appeal with a partial judicial investigation, since the court of first instance did not investigate the evidence. In addition, the lawyers petitioned to change the measure of restraint against all three persons to house arrest or to release them on bail. The court rejected all petitions and scheduled a substantive hearing on May 8. On February 27, the Baku Serious Crimes Court passed a verdict of the accused in the case of the illegal financing of PFPA, who were arrested last May.

The court sentenced the former head of the Gadabay district executive authority, the Russian citizen Saleh Rustamov to seven years and three months of imprisonment, a member of the Presidium of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) Agil Maharramov - four years, the head of the Narimanov district department of the party Babek Hasanov to three years in prison.

Rustamov"s nephew, Vidadi Rustamli, and head of the Majlis of the Youth Committee of the Popular Front Party Ruslan Nasirov were sentenced to 6 years and 8 months of imprisonment with a three-year probation period. Both were released in the courtroom. They were found guilty of illegal business and money laundering. Rustamov and Rustamli additionally also accused of drug trafficking. All defendants denied the charges. Human rights activists recognized them as political prisoners. -06d--