Oppositionist Shakhin Gadjiev sentenced to six years of imprisonment

Shakhin Gadjiev, a member of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan, was sentenced to six years of imprisonment on the charge of drug trafficking. His party colleagues consider the sentence politically motivated.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that on November 26, 2021, Shakhin Gadjiev, a member of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), was detained on suspicion of drug trafficking, the police reported. The activist is being persecuted for his political activities, his party colleagues suggest.

At a hearing held on March 31 in the Ganja Court for Grave Crimes, Shakhin Gadjiev delivered his final speech, advocate Zabil Gakhramanov informed the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

“In his final speech, my client said that he was absolutely not guilty. He pointed out that the allegation about the drugs found in his closet in the apartment was a lie. Shakhin Gadjiev said that law enforcers tortured him to force him to confess. My client said that he was being persecuted for criticizing the authorities,” the advocate said.

According to Zabil Gakhramanov, the court found Shakhin Gadjiev guilty under Art. 234.4.3 (large-scale drug trafficking) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan and sentenced him to six years of imprisonment in a penal colony. The defence will file an appeal against the verdict, the advocate reports.

The PFPA called the verdict politically motivated. “Shakhin Gadjiev was sentenced on the trumped-up charge. This is a political order. The activist is being punished for criticizing the regime,” Natig Adilov, the chief of the PFPA’s press service, told the “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on April 1, 2022 at 02:07 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.