Yadigar Sadigov is denied release on parole

Session of the  Garadagh district court took place in jail N14; the  appeal of deputy head of the party "Musavat", Yadigar Sadigov on  clemency and  the release on parole was discussed. The appeal was filed because Sadigov has served one third of his 4-year prison sentence.  Sadigov’slawyers have not been warned about the court session. His  rights defended the state attorney, and the court ultimately rejected the appeal activist, reads the statement  of the  Committee  to  Protect  Sadigov’s rights. The court denied Sadigov’s appeal because  of negative characteristics of the prison administration of jail N14, which states that the opposition "did not repent of his deeds, isnot inclined to work, and reads books  from morning till evening."

Supporters of  Sadigov believe "that  this unlawful decision was made by the judge in the best traditions of Soviet times: once a person  is not inclined to work, it means  he  did not improve."

"This court decision  became a continuation of the previous verdict in the case of Yadigar Sadigov made by a political order,"  reads the statement  by  the Sadigov’s Rights Protection Committee.

The document also reads that the denial  to release  on parole undermines the credibility of the joint working group on human rights, recreated by  the agreement of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, with the aim of a decent release of innocent persons arrested.

Yadigar Sadigov was arrested  on June 27, 2013 on the complaint of a local resident Rashid Karimov, who claimed that on June 25 Sadiqov beat him in the tea-house in the city of Lankaran. Sadigov was sentenced to 6 years' imprisonment. Later, an Appeals Court reduced the sentence to  four years.

Human rights organizations believe that Sadigov’s is persecuted on political grounds for opposition activity, and activity in social networks. Institute for Peace and Democracy, a human rights prize awarded him "Isakhan Ashurov" Prize. -06B-