Monitoring Center for Political Prisoners on Judgment on Nardaran Case

The Monitoring Center for Political Prisoners has strongly condemned the verdict on the people accused of the Nardaran case - members of the movement Muslim Unity and the deputy chairman of the Popular Front Party Fouad Gahramanli.

The organization regarded the sentence of long term imprisonment as "unreasonable", "excessively harsh" and not meeting the appropriate provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights.

"The arrest and the investigation took place with gross violations. The detainees were subjected to severe torture. Even before the court the Interior Ministry announced the arrest of "terrorists", violating the presumption of innocence," the head of the Center Elshan Hasanov said.

A number of rights of the accused guaranteed by the European Convention of Human Rights: Article 7 (no punishment without law); 6 (right to a fair trial); 13 (right to an effective legal defense) of the European Convention were violated.

At the trial, pressure was put on the witnesses, the lawyers’ requests were rejected, and investigations were not carried out on the facts of torture.

“Azerbaijan has ratified the Convention on Human Rights and is obliged to respect the rules of litigation. All of this will be reported to the international human rights organizations,” Hasanov said.

On January 25, the court sentenced the leader of Muslim Unity Movement Taleh Bagirzadeh and his deputy, Abbas Huseynov, to 20 years in prison each. The deputy chairman of PFPA Gahramanli received a 10-year prison term. The remaining 15 people received 10 to 19 years in prison.

They were found guilty of terrorism, attempting to change the constitutional order, organizing mass disorders, illegal possession of weapons, and murder.

Local human rights activists have recognized them as political prisoners.

The Monitoring Center for Political Prisoners was established in October 2014 by a group of former prisoners of conscience. -06D--