Shiite theologian Sardar Babayev sentenced to 17 years in prison

Baku/09/28.23/Turan: The verdict of the Shiite theologian Sardar Babayev was read out in the Baku Court for Serious Crimes on September 28. The court found him guilty under Article 274 (treason in the form of espionage) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan and sentenced him to 17 years of imprisonment with serving his sentence in a strict regime prison. Earlier, the prosecutor asked an 18-year prison term for Babayev.

Babayev pleaded not guilty, considered the charges absurd and therefore refused to testify in court,  lawyer Javad Javadov told Turan. According to the lawyer, no substantiated and reliable evidence of Babayev's guilt was presented during the judicial investigation.  The defense intends to file a complaint against the verdict to the Court of Appeal.

Javadov's lawyer also said that on September 21, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) granted Babayev's complaint about his detention in this criminal case. The ECHR recognized the violation of Babayev's rights under Article 5 (the right to freedom and personal inviolability) and decided to pay him compensation in the amount of 5 thousand euros.

Earlier, at the stage of the investigation, Babayev said that "the charges against him were fabricated and he became a victim of the deterioration of Azerbaijani-Iranian relations." Representatives of the prosecution were not available for comment.

Earlier, in July 2017, Sardar Babayev, being the akhund of a mosque in Masalli in southern Azerbaijan, was sentenced to three years in prison on charges of violating the requirements of conducting religious ceremonies.

Then human rights activists also recognized him as a political prisoner.—06B-