An activist sentenced to 5,5 years in prison in Baku

Elgiz Gahraman, an activist of the NIDA youth movement, has been sentenced to 5,5 years in prison. Baku Court of Grave Crimes has found him guilty of drug trafficking in bulk. Meanwhile, the activist claims, he has been arrested on political order due to his Facebook post, in which he scoffed at the praises upon Ilham Aliyev’s son.

The defense is going to challenge the verdict.

• NIDA  – the youth movement that gained wide popularity in 2013, following the protest rallies against arbitrariness in the army. The rallies were severely suppressed, dozens of activists were arrested. 
• Qiyas Ibrahimov and Bayram Mammadov, who are referred to as the ‘monument prisoners’, also belong to the aforesaid organization. They were sentenced to 10 years in prison each, after they had made graffiti inscription ‘Happy Slaves’ Day!’ on the monument to the late President of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, on his birthday.