Seven opposition leaders convicted

The trial against seven leaders of the Azerbaijan opposition, which has lasted already for six months, is over. Judge Mansur Ibayev has sentenced the oppositionists to imprisonment for the periods from two to five years today.

Deputy chairs of the Musavat Party Arif Gadzhily and Rauf Arifoglu, who is also editor-in-chief of the Yeni Musavat newspaper, are sentenced to five years' imprisonment. The jail term for Panakh Guseinov, the former prime minister, and secretary general of the Democratic Party Sardar Jalaloglu is four years and a half; for Igbal Agazade, the former deputy of the parliament, and deputy chair of the Musavat party Ibragim Ibragimli - three years; and for chairman of the Karabakh Veterans Association Etimad Asadov - two years.

In his interview with the Caucasian Knot correspondent, chairman of the Musavat Party Isa Gambar stated that "today's statement has proved one more time there is no independent judicial system in Azerbaijan, and they [judges] depend on the will of the executive power, which chartered this shameful trial." But Isa Gambar does not lose optimism. "The authorities will not be able to hold the leaders behind bars for a long time, and they will have to release them after a while. Otherwise they will do it pressed by the country's democratic public," the opposition leader said.

All the defendants are charged with organizing riots in Baku on October 15, 2003, the Azerbaijan presidential election polling day, and on October 16, 2003 with the purpose of changing results of the voting in favor of their candidate for the Azerbaijan presidency and with inflicting damage on state property and citizens' property. The trial, accompanied by numerous scandals, has lasted since April 2004.