In Azerbaijan, CoA upholds sentence to ex-Minister Nidjat Guliev

In Azerbaijan, the Court has completed the consideration of the appeal filed by Nidjat Guliev, the former Minister of Foreign Economic Relations, who was sentenced to three years of imprisonment on charges of drug possession. The Sumgait Court of Appeals (CoA) has dismissed his appeal. The defence intends to lodge an appeal to the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on August 8, 2013, Nidjat Guliev was arrested by the court on charges of illegal possession of weapons. The court arrested him for two months.

According to advocate Afgan Mamedov, the investigation was conducted in violation of the Nidjat Guliev's rights. So, after his arrest, he was deprived of effective remedy, since he was not allowed to be visited by his advocate.

Earlier, Rasul Jafarov, the head of the Legal Defence and Education Society, who is at present under arrest, has expressed the opinion that the case against Nidjat Guliev could be politically motivated. Rasul Jafarov drew attention to the fact that the former Minister was arrested on the eve of the presidential election of 2013. According to some reports, Nidjat Guliev had friendly relations with screenwriter Rustam Ibragimbekov, the former Chairman of the opposition National Council of Democratic Forces (NCDF).

Nidjat Guliev is one of 98 persons, who were recognized political prisoners by Azerbaijani civil society activists.