In Azerbaijan, two oppositional activists rejected of CER

The Baku Court of Appeal chaired by Judge Mirzali Abbasov considered an appeal filed by blogger Bakhtiyar Gadjiev to challenge rejection of conditional early relief (CER) and a motion for CER filed by Babek Gasanov, the representative of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA). The Court left the activists in custody.

On May 21, the Garadag Court rejected denied Babek Gasanov, who had filed a motion for release in connection with the fact that he had served two-thirds of his sentence. Fakhraddin Mekhtiev, the defendant's lawyer, stated that they would challenge the court's decision.

Babek Gasanov, the activist of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), was arrested on charges of organizing an unsanctioned oppositional rally held on April 2, 2011 in Baku. On August 25, 2011, he was sentenced to 1.5 years of imprisonment.

Bakhtiyar Gadjiev was arrested on March 4, 2011. On May 18, the Nizami District Court sentenced him to 2 years of imprisonment on charges of evading military service. Later, the Gandzha Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan upheld the verdict. Bakhtiyar Gadjiev rejects the charge and treats it as unlawful and politically motivated.

After serving one-third of his sentence, the activist filed a motion for conditional early release (CER). On December 29, 2011, at the court session held at the colony No. 14, the Garadag District Court did not grant his motion. On February 27, the Baku Court of Appeal upheld the verdict. On March 29, the Garadag District Court of Baku again rejected the activist Bakhtiyar Gadjiev of conditional early relief (CER) in connection with the fact that he had served half of his imprisonment sentence.

On May 21, in considering the appeal filed by Bakhtiyar Gadjiev, the administration of the colony No. 14 recognized early release of Bakhtiyar Gadjiev as inadvisable in connection with his failure to exercise "interest in participating in sports and public affairs at the penal institution."