The verdict on the leader of the Citizens and Development Party, Ali Aliyev, was announced in the Sabunchi District Court. By a court decision, he was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison. The defense plans to appeal the verdict.
At the trial of the Citizens and Development Party (CDP) leader Aliyev in Sabunchu district court on Tuesday the state prosecutor asked to sentence Aliyev to 4 years of imprisonment.
He also proposed to combine the sentence in the new case (3 years 11 months) with a part of the sentence not served in the previous criminal cases.
Recall that Aliyev is charged with an offence under Article 127.2.3 of the Criminal Code (intentional hooliganism). In particular, he is accused of beating a fellow inmate.
Aliyev denies the charges as saying that a provocation was committed against him in order to extend his prison sentence. “This is the fourth criminal case against me this year, and they were all fabricated to punish me for my political activities,” Aliyev said.
The process is ongoing.
Recall that on 3 January 2022, the Yasamal district court sentenced Ali Aliyev to 5 months of imprisonment on libel charges.
A private criminal complaint against him was filed by Lieutenant Colonel of the Border Guard Service Emil Jafarov. Another border guard officer, Ramin Adilov, filed a similar complaint against Aliyev. Aliyev received another month in prison on that complaint.
They are both survivors of the November 30 Mi-17 helicopter crash in the Khyzy region. The reason for the lawsuit was Aliyev’s interview with Youtube channel “Osmanqızı TV” on December 9, 2021. Aliyev suggested that the helicopter may have crashed as a result of external influence, so the attack on the helicopter must be regarded as an attack on Azerbaijan’s borders.
Aliyev did not rule out that Russia, which has long sought to secure Azerbaijan’s border, could be behind the provocation.
Note that Aliyev’s sentence was later extended to 1 year of imprisonment at the suit of former “Yeni Azerbaijan” ruling party functionary Ramiz Geyushev. A fourth criminal case was launched against Aliyev in August.