Ilham Amiraslanov is sentenced to two years in prison

Today  the  Sabirabad court convicted a civil society activist, Ilham Amiraslanov, to two years in prison.

The judge Firdovsi Aliyev refused to hear testimonies from defense witnesses, and actually, did not  spend a full judicial inquiry, because today's meeting was only the second.

The judge also did not take into account the videotaped arrest  of Amiraslanov, who denies the accusations of the investigation. In addition, the judge did not want to admit  journalists to trial.

The state prosecutor asked  to imprison Amiraslanov to  two and a half years under the  Article 221.1 (illegal possession of weapons.) The lawyer Samir Isayev said that the verdict  was unreasonable, and will  be appealed.

* Member of "Kura" civil society, Amiraslanov, for  two years  has been protecting the rights of the victims of the floods in 2010, and was arrested on June 8. Amiraslanov and other activists have exposed corruption and abuse of state officials, and embezzlement of financial compensation for victims of the floods.

International human rights groups demanded  his immediate release and objective investigation. After today's verdict  it can be stated confidently, that  Amiraslanov will be included in the list of political prisoners. He has become a second political prisoner among the members of "Kura", after  Oktay Gyulalyev, who was also arrested on fabricated charges.

Headquarters "Kura" was created by  a number of NGOs to protect the rights of the victims of floods in 2010. -0-