On August 2, the trial of Elnur Hasanov, a member of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan, who was arrested in November 2023 in a drug case, ended in the Baku Court of Grave Crimes.
During the hearing, the prosecutor proposed sentencing Hasanov to 6 years and 6 months in prison, finding him guilty under Article 234.4.3 (Illegal acquisition or storage of drugs for the purpose of sale) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.
In turn, the defense asked the court to issue an acquittal.
As lawyer Nemat Kerimli noted, the criminal case was investigated with numerous violations of the law.
“The entire prosecution is based on the testimony of two police officers. Moreover, their testimonies completely coincide. This gives reason to believe that during the preliminary investigation they simply signed the testimonies prepared for them,” the lawyer noted.
Gasanov himself stated that after his arrest, he was forced to incriminate himself under torture.
He stated that the case against him was politically motivated.
Gasanov indicated that he was arrested for his opposition political views and for criticizing the traffic police.
In his video materials, he demanded the resignation of the head of the state traffic police Ramiz Zeynalov and criticized the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The court ultimately reclassified the charge to a more lenient Article 234.1 -1 (Illegal acquisition, storage, production, processing, transportation of drugs in large quantities without the intent to sell) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan and sentenced Gasanov to 3 years in prison.
The defense intends to appeal the verdict.
Human rights activists recognized Hasanov political prisoner.
Politics
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The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (OPHRD), a joint program of the World Organization against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), has called for the urgent release of activist Rufat Safarov from prison in Azerbaijan. It has launched a campaign in support of the Azerbaijani human rights defender. https://www.omct.org/en/resources/urgent-interventions/arbitrary-detention-and-judicial-harassment-against-rufat-safarov
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