Azerbaijani SC upholds verdict on "Nardaran case"

The Supreme Court (SC) of Azerbaijan has dismissed the complaint of the theologian Zulfugar Mikailov and 11 other convicted believers. The defence intends to appeal against the verdict at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on December 6, 2017, the Baku Court of Grave Crimes announced the sentence to 12 members and supporters of the "Muslim Unity" Movement. The court sentenced Mikailov to 17 years in prison; other 11 defendants received prison terms from 13 to 16 years. All of them were arrested after the 2015 Nardaran events and found guilty of preparing terror acts and illegal arms trafficking.

Shakhla Gumbatova, an advocate, has noted that defendants' confessions were knocked out of them by torture. These people were not involved in the events in Nardaran and were detained in different parts of the country, she has added.

The convicts have fallen victims to repression against believers, said Elshan Gasanov the head of the Centre for Monitoring Political Prisoners. According to his story, more than 90 members and supporters of the "Muslim Unity" Movement and just ordinary residents of Nardaran were arrested.