Court Appoints Conditional Punishment to Elder of Nardaran

Baku / 11.05.17 / Turan: On Thursday, the verdict on the elder of the Nardaran settlement Natig Kerimov and the former deputy chairman of the Islamic Party of Azerbaijan, Inglab Ahadov, was read in the Baku Grave Crimes Court. The court found both guilty under Article 274 (state treason) of the Criminal Code.

Kerimov was sentenced to 7 years' conditional imprisonment with a 4-year probation period. Ahadov was sentenced to 5 years in prison.

The trial was held in closed mode and it is unknown what specifically the defendants were accused of. According to unofficial information, the defendants were accused of spying for Iran.

Kerimov was arrested in January last year. On January 19, 2016, he was released under house arrest. The arrest was preceded by a special operation in Nardaran in November 2015, which resulted in the killing of 6 people, including 2 policemen.

In connection with these events, about 90 people were arrested. Some of them were sentenced to various terms on charges of illegal possession of weapons.

A group of accused, including the leader of the movement Muslim Unity Taleh Bagirzadeh, was sentenced to long prison terms on charges of attempting to seize power and change the state system. The trials of other arrested people continue. -06D-