Brussels, 27/04/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 24 April, the European Union criticised the sentencing of “prominent” human rights lawyer Intigam Aliyev by an Azerbaijani Court to seven and a half years imprisonment and a further three-year ban on holding public office for alleged offences of illegal entrepreneurship, tax evasion and abuse of power.
“This harsh sentence is disproportionate to the alleged offences” and it “is a further demonstration of the increasingly difficult situation for human rights defenders in Azerbaijan”, said the spokesperson for High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini in a press release. The spokesperson also highlighted the shortcomings witnessed by international monitors during the trial, which raise fundamental questions as to the legality of these procedures. “The authorities in Azerbaijan need to ensure that Mr Aliyev is given the opportunity to appeal this verdict in a fair and unbiased process”, Mogherini's spokesperson added.
The European Parliament called for Aliyev's release last September (see EUROPE 11158).
Mogherini's spokesperson again reiterated that Azerbaijan must fully abide by its international commitments and work towards establishing trust in the independence of its judicial system. (Camille-Cerise Gessant)