Resident of Lankaran who protected his daughter is sentenced to four years

The Lankaran regional court has sentenced Shaig Agayev to four years  of  imprisonment on charges of drug trafficking. He was arrested  after  a year ago he placed on Internet  material about beating his daughter in school N 8.

The Director of the  school demanded from Agayev to  remove  a "video defaming Lankaran", but Agayev refused. After that he was arrested by the police of the Southern Regional Office for Combating drugs. 

According to Agayevs, the  Director of school is a relative of one of the employees of the regional bureau of the Main Directorate for Combating Drug of the Interior Ministry. 

Early in the morning on February 6, 2013 people in masks broke into Agayev’s family breaking down the glass windows and doors. They conducted an illegal search, but found nothing. Masked men beat Agayev in front of his children, and pinned his arms, and took away. 

The investigation blamed Agayev of having 7.6 gram marijuana. He allegedly sold drugs on the road to the airport. However the prospective buyer has not been established by the investigation. Under torture was made Agayev was made to make confession, which he refused in court. The investigation in this case lasted about a year.

Agayev has three young children and the family is in  hard position, and a lawyer Ibaret Hasanov who protected  Agayev’s rights  bought him medicine for his own money. He noted the absolute innocence of Agayev.

The lawyer also pointed to the severity of the sentence, because previously Agayev did not commit disorderly conduct and was a worker. The verdict will be appealed to the Court of Appeal. After the announcement of the verdict, Agayev, who had a blade with him tried to commit a suicide, but after persistent requests of relatives refused this. Media Rights Institute (IPM) also condemned the verdict Agayev and believes that he is being persecuted for freedom of expression in Internet.—06D--