The Baku Court on Grave Crimes granted Musavat party member Azad Hasanov, who was charged with drug trafficking last year, conditional release on Aug. 5.
Hasanov was given a 6-month probation term, although the prosecutor requested 16 month jail sentence for him.
The verdict will be taken to an appeals court, Hasanov’s lawyer Osman Kazimov told journalists.
Hasanov, who is a political immigrant living in Lithuania, returned to Baku on 10 October, 2018, upon learning that his seriously ill father was about to die.
Hasanov allegedly crossed the border without a problem but was detained by police officers in Baku the day afterwards.
Khatai District Court sentenced him to four months in detention on drug-related charges.
Under Article 234.4.3 (illegal manufacturing, purchase, storage, transportation, transfer or selling of sale of drugs), Hasanov was facing between five and twelve years in prison.
