The Baku Court of Grave Crimes has dismissed the appeal of youth activist Bayram Mammadov, who was convicted of drug trafficking and possession in October of last year and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Bayram Mammadov and Qiyas Ibrahimov were detained on May 10, 2016, after writing “Happy slave day!” and “F**k the system!” on a monument to former Azerbaijani president Heydar Aliyev in downtown Baku.
Meydan TV correspondents report that Mammadov’s lawyer Elchin Sadiqov told the court that during his arrest, Mammadov had been subject to inhumane treatment and that witnesses at his trial had given false testimony.
When presiding judge Hasan Akhmdov asked Sadiqov why he had decided not to comment on the accusations against Mammadov, Sadiqov responded that he did not see the necessity of commenting on false accusations.
When the same question was addressed to Mammadov, he responded, “I also believe that this accusations are false”.
The judge later dismissed Mammadov’s appeal. Elchin Sadiqov later told journalists that he intends to forward the case to the European Court of Human Rights.
Amnesty International has recognized both Bayram Mammadov and Qiyas Ibrahimov “prisoners of conscience”.
