Activist Djalil Zabidov convicted in Azerbaijan

Djalil Zabidov, a school teacher from the village of Dyallyaklyar of the Yardimli District, a member of the D18 movement, has been sentenced to five months in prison on charges of hooliganism. Activists believe that he is being persecuted for his protests against falsifications at parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan.

"Zabidov was an observer at the February 9 elections at a polling station. He opposed the falsifications, but was beaten up there ... As a result, he was found guilty of hooliganism, while the man, who beat him up became a victim," said Ruslan Izzetli, the leader of the D18 movement.

Zabidov himself said that he was "persecuted for exposing falsifications and covering corruption issues in social networks." According to his version, authorities offered him to give up criticism of their activities and "promised a land plot in return." However, he refused, after which he began receiving threats.

Elmir Shiraliev, the administrator of the "Korrupsiyaya yox de" (Say no to corruption) Facebook page, has noted that Zabidov "takes an active civil stand." "He was the author of materials on the irrational spending of budget money in the district, and embezzlements of local officials," Mr Shiraliev has stated.

"A series of arrests of district heads in Azerbaijan undertaken in recent months has shown the widespread practice of embezzlement of budget funds by administration heads, extortion of bribes by them, attempt to steal even allowances for the unemployed and the poor," Mekhman Guseinov, the head of the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS), has stated.