Baku Today
Aug 31 2004

Akif Nagi Sentenced To 5 Years of Prison

Turan/Baku Today 31/08/2004 10:48

Nasimi court has pronounced its sentence to six members of the
Organization for Liberation of Karabakh (OLK), finding them guilty of
violation of public order, hooliganism and resistance to state
officers.

Judge Famil Nasibov sentenced OLK chairman Akif Nagi to 5 years in
jail; deputy chairman Firudin Mamedov to 3 years in jail; Ilkin
Gurbanov, Mursal Hasanov, Rovshan Fatiyev and Manaf Kerimov to 4
years in jail.

OLK activists and relatives of defendants protested this decision at
the court. They were forced out to the street and dispersed by polce.

On 21 June of this year, a group of OLK members staged a protest
against Armenian officers’ visit for participation in NATO conference
in Baku. During the rally in front of Grand Hotel Europe, OLK members
broke into lobby and conference hall where NATO conference was held.
The doors and windows were broken as the result. Simultaneously,
clashes started between participants in the action and policemen
around the hotel. Six participants in the rally were arrested by
police the next day.

Various political organizations and public activists made numerous
applications to the authorities and the Head of State requesting to
release OLK members, during investigation and trial. OLK is the only
organization in Azerbaijan raising public awareness of issues related
to Karabakh conflict. Th estimated membership in this organization is
more than 10,000.