Relative of Political Emigrant Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison

Baku / 03.10.18 / Turan: The Baku Court of Grave Crimes sentenced Emin Sagiyev to 7 years in prison on charges of drug trafficking on a large scale.

The convicted is a brother-in-law of the activist of the Popular Front Party, journalist Turkel Azerturk - one of the leaders of the opposition television channel Turan TV broadcasting from Europe.

Azerturk believes that Sagiyev is being persecuted because of his journalistic activities. He recalled that earlier in Azerbaijan, relatives of journalists living in political emigration, Ganimat Zahid and Emin Milli, were arrested and convicted.

Sagiyev was arrested in November 2017. A few days ago, Sagiyev, through lawyers, stated that he did not share the political views of Azerturk and had never participated in his anti-government activities and did not maintain contact with him.

According to him, in the Main Directorate for Combating Organized Crime of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as a "proof" of his contacts with Azerturk, his congratulations on the birth of Azerturk"s child were shown.

"Is it fair to break the lives of young people because of their blood relatives?" Sagiyev said. He is recognized as a political prisoner by local human rights organizations. The defense intends to appeal the verdict. -06D-