The final hearing in the criminal case against Azer Gasimli, head of the Institute of Political Management, took place at the Baku Serious Crimes Court on March 11.
The verdict against Azer Gasimli was announced during the hearing, which was presided over by Judge Elmin Rustamov.
Azer Gasimli was given a 12-year prison sentence by the court.
The state prosecutor had earlier called for a 13-year sentence.
In his final court address, Azer Gasimli maintained his innocence and described his imprisonment as politically driven.
“I am not a criminal, and I have never engaged in any criminal acts. The court investigation has once again confirmed this. The prosecution has neither a witness nor any evidence to support the charges. We proved that the indictment is nothing but empty words and lies, using testimony from real witnesses and actual facts. In fact, under the presumption of innocence, this shouldn’t even have been necessary,” Gasimli said in his statement.
Gasimli added that he is the only victim in this case.
“They have taken both my freedom and my property. My arrest was entirely politically motivated,” he said.
Continuing his final statement by opening with the words of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, Gasimli emphasized:
“To die knowing that you haven’t made the country better than it was before you.— it will be very painful, as if you had never lived.”
In his statement, Gasimli also addressed Azerbaijan’s recently liberated Karabakh territories and national security:
“National interests and our security cannot be satisfied with independence, territorial integrity, and the inviolability of our state alone. These must be complemented by internal stability, economic freedom, and the protection of property. A society that only looks back cannot move forward; those who see ahead will bring progress closer. May God be our guide and help,” Gasimli concluded his statement.
Azer Gasimli, director of the Institute of Political Management, was detained on December 8, 2024.
Azer Gasimli is accused of demanding money through threats from Gurbanali Yusibov, who is recognized as the victim in the case. However, his lawyers have stated that there is a legally binding court decision confirming that Yusibov owes money to Gasimli.
The politician was charged under Article 182.2.3 of the Criminal Code (extortion committed with threats or by using force), and a pre-trial detention measure was imposed on him.
Azer Gasimli stated that his arrest was politically motivated and that the charges against him are fabricated.
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