Azerbaijan: Deputy Chair of Islamic Party released on CER arrested again

Arif Ganiev, Deputy Chairman of the Islamic Party of Azerbaijan, freed from prison on June 8 by the decision of the Salyan District Court, was arrested again today.

This decision was made by the Shirvan Court of Appeal, which has satisfied the protest of the General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) against the decision of the Salyan District Court to release Ganiev under the conditional early relief (CER).

Arif Ganiev was detained in the city of Sumgait on August 11, 2011. The Ministry of National Security of Azerbaijan had stated that at detention Ganiev had 19 grams of hashish on him; and firearms and ammunition were confiscated from his car. On January 26, the Sumgait City Court found Ganiev guilty and sentenced him to 1.5 years in prison.

"We can't understand the logic and actions of the authorities of Azerbaijan," Akif Geidarli, Deputy Chairman of the Islamic Party of Azerbaijan (IPA) for Political Matters, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent in his comment on the decision of the above Court of Appeal.

According to Mr Geidarli, Ganiev was re-arrested under "a political order".

The Court of Appeal has confirmed the information about satisfaction of the protest of the GPO and said that now Ganiev should serve in custody the remaining part of his term (8 months, – note of the "Caucasian Knot").

The advocate Asabali Mustafaev has treated this case, in his comment on Ganiev's re-arrest, as "a rare incident in the jurisprudence of Azerbaijan."