In Azerbaijan, three life sentence prisoners denied revision of their sentences

The court has refused to start proceedings under the motion filed by three former staff members of the Azerbaijani special purpose police squad with a request to replace their life sentences with 20-year imprisonment terms. The defence intends to challenge the decision at the court.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that human rights defenders recognized Elchin Amiraslanov, Safa Poladov, and Arif Kyazimov, members of the Gazakh department of the special purpose police squad (known as OPON), as political prisoners. They were arrested in connection with the rebellion of former staff members of the OPON in March 1995, which was suppressed by the government forces.

Advocate Elchin Sadygov believes that in 1998, in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights and the laws of Azerbaijan, the death penalty for his clients was replaced with life imprisonment.

The advocate states that in accordance with the law, the case against each convicted persons should have been examined individually.

Ilgar Amiraslanov, a brother of Elchin Amiraslanov, one of the convicts, reported on the serious condition of the former OPON fighter.

Eldar Zeinalov, the leader of the Human Rights Centre (HRC) of Azerbaijan, believes that the death penalty for the convicts should have been replaced by maximum 15 years of imprisonment. The human rights defender has pointed out that some time ago, Georgia, a neighbouring country, did precisely that way.

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