Trade union activist sentenced to 3 years in prison

On April 2, the trial of trade union activist Aykhan Israfilov, accused in the drug case, ended in the Baku Serious Crimes Court.  The court found him guilty under Article 234.1-1 of the Criminal Code (possession and distribution of drugs) and sentenced him to 3 years in prison.

The defense requested to view the recordings from the police surveillance cameras, as well as to call for questioning the source of information who reported the presence of drugs in Israfilov.  However, these and other petitions were not satisfied. The prosecutor asked to sentence Israfilov to 5 years in prison.

In his closing remarks, lawyer Fariz Namazli pointed out that the investigation into Israfilov's case was conducted in violation of the law and therefore asked the court to acquit him.

Israfilov himself stated that he was being persecuted because of his trade union activities. The defense intends to appeal the verdict.

* Aykhan Israfilov, a member of the Board of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions, was arrested in August 2023. Israfilov categorically denied the accusation and linked his arrest to public activities to protect the rights of courier service workers.