23:59, 25 November 2019

Azerbaijani political prisoner Asif Yusifli is back at large

Asif Yusifli, Member of the Presidium of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA). Photo: Aziz Karimov, Meydan TV

Asif Yusifli, Member of the Presidium of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), has been released after five years in prison. He insists that he had fallen victim to political persecution.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on July 30, 2015, Asif Yusifli was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison on charges of fraud and document forgery. Later, his defence achieved a reduction of his prison term by two years.

"I committed no crime; I just wanted to help a person. My parents had compensated for the damage to the victim; and she refused from her complain against me," Mr Yusifli has stated.

Asif Yusifli was detained in November 2014 within the case of embezzlement of 7700 manats (about USD 4529).

The investigation into the Yusifli's case was biased – he had just transferred the money from the woman to transfer her son to another university, said Anar Mamedli, the head of the Centre for Election Monitoring and Democracy Training. "The court failed to take into account his disability and participation in the battles in defence of the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan," Mr Mamedli has stated.

Asif Yusifli has linked his case with an authorities' attempt to weaken the opposition before the parliamentary elections and stated that he would continue his political activities for the sake of democracy in Azerbaijan.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on November 25, 2019 at 01:55 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.