Jabbar Savalan, a young Azerbaijani oppositionist, sentenced to 2,5 years of imprisonment

A trial on the case of Jabbar Savalan, a youth activist of the Party National Front of Azerbaijan (PNFA) and active Facebook user, under the chairmanship of Ilgar Mamedov came to an end in Sumgait City Court of Azerbaijan today. The court found him guilty according to clause 234.1 of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan (illegal storage of drugs) and sentenced him to 2,5 years of imprisonment. 

Before pronouncement of the verdict the attorneys who considered that Savalan's guilt was not proved demanded an absolutory sentence. 

Savalan himself in his last plea also rejected the charge and declared that he was going to be punished for his political activity and taking active part in the struggle for freedom and democracy. "Nowadays many people in Azerbaijan are offered an alternative: freedom or bread. Those who choose bread lose freedom very soon. I have chosen freedom in spite of knowing that I would be thrown into jail. That will not break my will. I will continue struggle for freedom and we will win in this struggle", Savalan said. 

After a short conference the judge pronounced the verdict which made all those present indignant. Savalan's supporters in the courtroom as well as those who were standing in the corridor and in front of the building started shouting: "Shame on the court!", "Freedom for Savalan!". 

It caused an outrageous reaction of the policemen and some people wearing civilian attire. They detained several young people, girls among them, and took them away to police department. Abulfaz Gurbanli, Head of the youth branch of PNFA, was among those detained. He was punched and his video camera was confiscated. 

Journalists experienced physical pressure, too. In particular, a video camera was confiscated from a reporter of Azerbaijani service of radio "Svoboda" (Freedom). Some time later the camera was returned to him but the episodes of beating up the activists on the camera were annihilated. 

Savalan's attorney Anar Gasymov estimated the judgment as "one more example of arbitrary rule and absence of independent court in Azerbaijan". According to him, the verdict in fact just repeats the text of the indictment. The court has done no independent investigation, practically none of the solicitations of the defense was granted and there was no independent expertise, Gasymov said. 

He reported that the judgment would be appealed against. "After all the interior juridical procedures we will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights", Gasymov said. 

Savalan had been a student of the history department of Sumgait State University but at the beginning of April he was expelled for non-attendance of classes.