On Wednesday, the Sumgayit Serious Crimes Court passed a sentence on activist Malik Rzayev, who was deported from Germany. He was sentenced to 7 years in prison on charges of a large-scale drug trafficking (Article 234.4.3 of the Criminal Code).
According to his lawyer Neymat Karimli, Rzayev pleaded not guilty. The defense plans to appeal the verdict.
Malik Rzayev is one of seven activists arrested after being deported from Germany since October last year.
Five of them are charged with drug trafficking, one with bodily harm, and one more with non-enforcement of a court decision.