Court sentences hunger striker Zamin Salayev to 4 years of imprisonment

Baku/22.05.23/Turan: Today the Garadagh district court finished the trial of the head of the Salyan district organization of the Party of People's Front of Azerbaijan (PPFA) Zamin Salayev, who is on hunger strike for 105 days demanding his release.

The prosecutor proposed that he be sentenced to 4.5 years of imprisonment. The court sentenced him to four years' imprisonment.

During the hearing, Salayev became ill and an ambulance was called.

The defence believes the sentence is unlawful and intends to appeal against it, lawyer Neymat Kerimli told Turan. He said that Salayev intends to continue the hunger strike.

PPFA leader Ali Kerimli told reporters outside the court that Salayev's sentence was "political revenge by the authorities on the activist for his opposition activity and his lack of bending". 

*Zamin Salayev was detained on 7 February, and the next day the Garadagh court arrested him on charges of hooliganism with a weapon (Article 221.3 of the Criminal Code).

The US Embassy in Baku urged the authorities to release Salayev and other political prisoners. -06В-