Grandson of Azerbaijan deputy prime minister sentenced to six years in prison

Twenty-one-year-old Nail Allahverdiyev, grandson of Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Ali Hasanov has been sentenced to six years in prison.

The verdict was given on 18 December in the Baku Court on Grave Crimes.

On 3 August Allahverdiyev was involved in a serious car accident with a Mercedes-Gelandwagon on Heydar Aliyev Avenue. Two people were killed as a result, and two Turkish citizens were severely injured.

More details on the accident are available here:

https://jam-news.net/?p=52899

The victims’ relatives stated that they had no complaints about the accused at the trial. Allahverdiyev denied accusations of racing. He claimed that he was driving at a high speed because the person in the front passenger seat suddenly felt sick and he was hurrying to take them to hospital.

The Turkish citizens who were injured in the accident sent a letter to the court as well, stating that they have no complaints about the accused. Allahverdiev’s grandfather, the chairman of the State Commission for Refugees and IDP’s took care of all expenses for their treatment.

The court’s verdict has caused mixed reactions in society: people across social networks have written that six years is not enough for such a serious crime, whereas some believe that the ‘golden boy’ will not sit in a jail cell at all, and will only be registered periodically.

Eldar Zeynalov, Director of the Human Rights Center of Azerbaijan, told the minval.az website: “According to the law, the maximum penalty for violation of traffic laws and the negligent operation of a vehicle which causes the death of two or more persons is punishable by imprisonment for a term of five to ten years and driving of a vehicle prohibited for up to five years. So, the punishment is a little over the minimum level.”