On May 14, Lankaran Grave Crimes Court passed a verdict on Murad Adilov, an activist of the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (APFP). He was convicted under article 234.4.3 (drug trafficking at a large scale) and sentenced to 6 years in jail. The prosecutor had requested a 7-year sentence for Adilov.
In his final speech, Murad Adilov stated that he was being prosecuted for political reasons, related to his brother Natig Adilov’s work as an opposition activist and journalist. Natig Adilov is the presenter of the online program Azerbaijan Hour.
According to his lawyer Yalchin Imanov, the delivery of the verdict drew not on evidence, but rather the subjective opinions of the prosecution. If it the court had based its assessment on legal principles, then the judge would have been forced to acquit Murad Adilov. As for the investigation, the defense’s motion was entirely ignored, said the lawyer.
*Murad Adilov was arrested on 11 August 201, in Sabirabad district. He is the brother of Natig Adilov, staffer at Azadliq newspaper and spokesman for the APFP leader.