A charge brought against Azerbaijani oppositionist Azad Gasanov

Azad Gasanov, an activist of the "Musavat" Party, arrested after his return from Lithuania, is charged with illicit drug trafficking. Members of the party treat the prosecution of their colleague as politically motivated.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Azad Gasanov was arrested on October 12, the day after his return to Azerbaijan from Lithuania, where he lived as a political migrant.

The activist faces 5-12 years of imprisonment under the article on illicit drug trafficking on a large scale, advocate Osman Kyazimov reports.

According to him, law enforcers allegedly found four grams of heroin in the Azad Gasanov's belongings.

"The reliability of the accusation provokes great doubts. The man just arrived in Baku to visit his seriously ill father and immediately got the drugs," the advocate stated.

"The 'Musavat' Party requests the authorities to stop repressive and vindictive policies against their opponents," declared the statement released by the "Musavat" Party.

Since 2003, Azad Gasanov actively participated in the protests, noted Mustafa Gadjibeili, the chief of the press service for the "Musavat" Party. According to him, in 2014, for fear of reprisals, Azad Gasanov got political asylum in Lithuania.