Oppositionist Released in Courtroom

Baku / 08/08/19 / Turan: The Baku Serious Crimes Court today read out the verdict to the Musavat party activist Azad Hasanov, accused of drug trafficking.

The prosecutor suggested retraining the accusation for a softer article - 234.1 (drug trafficking in excess of the norm acceptable for personal consumption) and sentencing the activist to 1.5 years in prison.

The court sentenced the activist to imprisonment for 1 year. At the same time, the court replaced the last 2 months and 5 days of the term with conditional punishment.

The activist was released in the courtroom.

Hasanov told Turan that he did not agree with the verdict, considers it unfair and politically motivated in connection with opposition activities in the ranks of the Musavat party. Hasanov will appeal it. At the same time, he intends to secure his right to leave the country for reunion with his family.

* Hasanov has been in political emigration in Lithuania since 2014. On October 11, 2018, he returned to Baku due to a serious illness of his father and was detained on the same day. He was charged under Art. 234.4.3 (large-scale drug trafficking) of the Criminal Code. Human rights activists recognized him as a political prisoner. -B06-