Though the Council of Europe´s (CoE) most recent resolution stipulated that seven key opposition party leaders would be released, the Azerbaijani government ignored the CoE resolution and sentenced the seven to long prison terms. Disappointingly, CoE kept silent. (25-OCT-04)
On 22 October, after six months, the trial of seven leaders of the Azerbaijani opposition who supported the Azerbaijan bloc and its candidate Isa Gambar, the head of the Musavat party, for the Presidential elections in October 2003 has finished. The judge voiced the court decision, sentencing
1. Arif Hacili (deputy chief of Musavat Party) – to 5 years
2. Rauf Arifoglu (deputy chief of Musavat Party) – to 5 years
3. Panah Huseynov (head of Khalg Party) – to 4,5 years
4. Sardar Calaloglu (secretary general of Azerbaijan Democratic Party) – to 4,5 years
5. Ibrahim Ibrahimli (deputy chief of Musavat Party) – to 3 years
6. Igbal Agazadeh (head of Umid Party) – to 3 years
7. Etimad Asadov (chief of Garabagh Liberation Organization) – to 2,5 years
The trial process, marked by an astonishing absence of evidence against the accused, and at the same time an abundance of facts from the accused themselves – ended up with the imprisonment of the seven opposition leaders. The case – considered unprecedented even in Azerbaijan – is the best evidence of partiality and dependence upon the authorities of the Azerbaijan courts. In the course of the court hearings, several among the procurator’s witnesses withdrew their accusations and explained that their initial identifications of the accused and also their previous testimonies were forced, some even under threats of torture.
After the judge´s decision the seven leaders sang the national hymn of Azerbaijan with the right hand on their hearts. The deeply touched audience joined them and thus forced the judge with his staff to stand up too.
The people outside the Court, called the Court on Cases of Heavy Crime, were not allowed to come close to the building. The neighboring roads were even blocked.
