The trial in the case of the member of the Popular Front Party Shahin Hajiyev, accused of a large-scale drug trafficking, has ended in the Ganja Serious Crimes Court.
On March 31, he delivered his final speech, declaring his innocence and falsification of the criminal charge.
“The file says that drugs were found from a closet in my house. In fact, my laptop was confiscated from there,” Hajiyev said. He said that after being detained, he was tortured in order to give confessions.
His lawyer, Zabil Gahramanov, indicated that traces of violence on his body were recorded in the Ganja pre-trial detention center. However, the prosecutor’s office refused to open a criminal case.
The lawyer also noted that the judicial investigation did not prove Hajiyev’s guilt and asked to acquit the oppositionist. However, the court sentenced him to 6 years in prison. Previously, the prosecutor asked for a 7.5 year prison term. The defense disagrees with the verdict and intends to appeal.
Hajiyev was detained on November 26, 2021 and the police charged him under the Article 234.4.3 (large-scale drug trafficking) of the Criminal Code. The PFPA said that the activist is being persecuted for political reasons. Human rights activists recognized Hajiyev as a political prisoner.