18:19, 28 November 2017

Court upholds verdict to six "Muslim Unity" activists

The Supreme Court of Azerbaijan. Photo © Sputnik / Murad Orujov

The Supreme Court (SC) of Azerbaijan has refused to change the verdict to six supporters of the "Muslim Unity" movement, having found them guilty of resisting the police in Nardaran. The defence treats the consideration of the cassation as formal.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on August 3, 2016, the Sabunchi District Court of Baku sentenced Sakhil Rzaev, Elvin Bunyadov, Lyatif Akhmedov, Teimur Osmanov, Niftali Veliev and Anar Aliev to imprisonment for five to six years.

On November 5, 2015, the above six members of the "Muslim Unity" movement were detained in front of the building of the Sabunchi District Police Department. They wanted to know the reasons for the detention of Elchin Gasymov, the deputy chairman of the movement.

According to Elchin Sadygov, an advocate of Sakhil Rzaev, the consideration of the cassation complaint was formal. Also, the SC "has ignored defendants' statements about torture."

The defence plans to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). Mr Sadygov has reminded that the defence treats the case as fabricated.

On November 26, 2015, in a special operation conducted in Nardaran seven people were killed, including two law enforcers.

All the above six convicted members of the "Muslim Unity" are on the list of political prisoners, compiled by the Centre for the Defence of Political Prisoners.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.

Author: Faik Medjid

Source: CK correspondent