Court softens verdict to Azerbaijani activist Yusifli

Today, the Supreme Court (SC) of Azerbaijan has partially satisfied the complaint of the defence, which asked to release the oppositional leader Asif Yusifli, and reduced his prison term from six to five years.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on July 30, 2015, Asif Yusifli, a member of the Presidium of the Supreme Majlis of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), was sentenced to 7.5 years of imprisonment. On May 4, 2016, the Azerbaijani SC partially granted the Yusifli’s cassation complaint and reduced his prison term from 7.5 to 6 years. In connection with the entry into force, on June 1, 2016, of amendments to the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan, the defence filed a petition asking to re-qualify the charges and mitigate the punishment of Asif Yusifli.

Today, Azerbaijani SC has commuted the Yusifli’s sentence by reducing him his prison term by one year more – down to five years, as Yusifli’s advocate Fakhraddin Mekhtiev told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"Unfortunately, the SC has only partially satisfied the complaint," said the advocate, explaining that the defence insisted on liberation of Yusifli.

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