Appeal of PFPA Activist Dismissed

The Nakhchivan Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal from the PFPA activist Zeynal Bagirzadeh and upheld the decision of the Babeck District Court depriving him of liberty for 8 years on February 2, 2016.

Bagirzadeh was arrested on November 16, 2015 on charges of resisting the authorities with violence (article 351.1 of the Criminal Code).

During the investigation the charge was increased to the resistance to the authorities with violence dangerous for life (351.2). Bagirzadeh was imprisoned for 4 years. This time was added to the suspended sentence imposed in another case back in 2012.

Bagirzadeh did not accept the charges, considering his arrest as politically motivated. According to him, in respect of him a provocation was committed by the employees of the State Social Protection Fund. A few days before his arrest those men came to Bagirzadeh’s place and demanding payment to the Fund.

Bagirzadeh himself was out then and the official named Faig Ismayilov spoke offensively against the host. Bagirzadeh went to the Fund and expressed dissatisfaction with the actions of the officials and filed a complaint with the prosecutor's office. However, his application was withdrawn and the charge was brought against Bagirzadeh himself, who was sent to prison for 8 years in the end. -03B04-