Azerbaijani rights defender Vidadi Iskenderov convicted

Today, the Geichai District Court of Azerbaijan has sentenced human rights defender Vidadi Iskenderov, the head of the NGO "Promoting Defence of Democracy", to 3 years of imprisonment.

Judge Elkhan Suleimanov found him guilty under the articles of "Forcing a citizen to vote against his will and obstructing him to vote", "Interference in the work of election commissions" and "Beatings" of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.

In particular, the rights defender was accused of interfering with voting at the parliamentary elections on November 7, 2010, where he ran for an MP from the Geichai District; however, his rival – Shamsaddin Gadjiev, Rector of Azerbaijani State Economic University and a member of the ruling party "Eni Azerbaijan", was announced to be the winner.

Prosecutor Nariman Alekperov asked the court to sentence Iskenderov to 4 years of imprisonment. The defendant rejected all the charges; and during announcement of his verdict he turned his back on the judge.

Iskenderov's supporters, who were in the courtroom, met the verdict with chanting: "Resign!", "Death to dictatorship!" and "Freedom to Vidadi Iskenderov!"

Khalid Bagirov, Vidadi's advocate, has also stated the groundlessness of accusations and treated Iskenderov's trial as a "farce" and "funeral of the legal science."