Azerbaijan: oppositionist Faraj Kerimli sentenced to 6.5 years in prison

The Baku Court of Grave Crimes has convicted Faraj Kerimli, an activist of the "Musavat" Party, accused of illegal drug dealing.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Faraj Kerimli was detained on July 23, 2014, in Baku. The consideration of his case began on March 18; and on April 29 the prosecutor asked the court to sentence him to 7.5 years of imprisonment. Kerimli said at the trial that he was persecuted for political reasons.

A week before the detention of Faraj, his brother Siraj was detained, who, according to law enforcers, also possessed drugs. On March 16, the Baku Court of Grave Crimes sentenced Siraj Kerimli, who also pleaded not guilty, to six years in prison.

The lawyer Nemat Kerimli said that the defence disagreed with the verdict and would appeal against it.

Ogtay Gyulalyev, the head of the Public Alliance "Azerbaijan without Political Prisoners", has treated the verdict to Faraj Kerimli as unfair, unjustified and politically motivated.

Let us remind you that on August 18, 2014, the human rights organization "Amnesty International" announced Faraj and Siraj Kerimli to be "prisoners of conscience" and called for their immediate release.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.