In Azerbaijan, journalist Parviz Gashimli is sentenced to eight years of imprisonment

Today, in Azerbaijan, the court has pronounced the verdict to Parviz Gashimli, a journalist and a human rights defender, who was accused of smuggling and arms traffic. The court has sentenced Parviz Gashimli to 8 years of imprisonment. Tavakkyul Gurbanov, another defendant in the case, was sentenced to 8.5 years of imprisonment.

The court has found both defendants guilty under Article 228.2.1 (illegal purchase, transfer, sale, storage, transportation or carrying of weapons and ammunition committed by persons acting in previous concert), Article 228.2.2 (illegal purchase, transfer, sale, storage, transportation or carrying of weapons and ammunition committed repeatedly), and Article 206.3.2 (smuggling committed by persons acting in previous concert) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.

The verdict of the court was predictable, and the criminal case was of political nature from the very beginning. This was stated by Elchin Sadygov, an advocate of Parviz Gashimli, when he was commenting on the verdict of the court. However, according to the advocate, all the efforts to defend the rights of Parviz Gashimli will not pass in vain. "We intend to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). We will appeal to all the instances in Azerbaijan and then file a complaint to the Strasbourg Court," Elchin Sadygov told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.