Prosecutor requests real prison terms for three defendants in PFPA case in Azerbaijan
Three defendants in the case of financing the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) should be sentenced to prison terms ranging from 7.5 to 8 years; and two more should receive suspended sentences, said the prosecutor. The defence considers it fair to acquit all the defendants.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that three PFPA members, Agil Magerramov, Ruslan Nasirli, Babek Gasanov, as well as a Russian citizen, Salekh Rustamov, and his nephew Vidadi Rustamli were accused of money laundering. The punishment under the article, imputed to them, implies up to 12 years in prison. Besides, large-scale drug dealing is imputed to Rustamov and Rustamli; the maximum prison term under this article is 12 years. The defence has stated that the defendants were tortured.
According to investigators, Salekh Rustamov monthly extorted money from the citizens of Azerbaijan, engaged in businesses in Russia, to support the PFPA. The total amount transferred to the party through his nephew, was 412,000 US dollars. The money, according to the prosecution, was transferred to Ali Kerimli, the PFPA.
"Our party believes that the criminal case pursues political goals – to discredit the PFPA, and to intimidate people so that they refuse to support our party," said Tezekhan Miralamli, an employee of the PFPA's press service.
Agil Laidjev, Agil Magerramov's advocate, disagrees with prosecutor's demands. "There's no fact of money laundering in the case ... My client only transferred small amounts from Vidadi Rustamli, Salekh Rustamov's nephew, to PFPA functionaries to buy goods for families of political prisoners," he said.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on February 19, 2019 at 10:09 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Source: CK correspondent