Azeri opposition leader hails release of anti-Armenian protesters

Azadliq, Baku
23 Sep 04

Text of Aqil report by Azerbaijani newspaper Azadliq on 23 September
headlined “‘The KLO members should have been acquitted'” and subheaded
“‘A suspended sentence is an intimidation tool against those
people’. The chairman of the PFAP, Ali Karimli, congratulates the
Azerbaijani people on the release of the KLO members”

The trial of activists of the Karabakh Liberation Organization [KLO]
came to an end yesterday [22 September] in the Court of Appeal. The
activists, who were arrested for protesting against Armenian
servicemen’s visit to Baku [on 22 June], received suspended sentences.

The chairman of the People’s Front of Azerbaijan Party [PFAP], Ali
Karimli, expressed his view on this and congratulated the released KLO
members through Azadliq newspaper. “I also congratulate all the
Azerbaijani people on this,” he said and noted that the release of
those who love Karabakh is definitely a victory for all the people.

Karimli reckons that the KLO members should have been acquitted rather
than given suspended sentences. “First of all, the Azerbaijani
government should have completely corrected the mistake made against
the KLO activists by acquitting them. However, their release in itself
is a major event. I believe this is one of the minor victories of the
Azerbaijani public over the regime because we remember how ruthlessly
the authorities treated the KLO members. If there had been no serious
public resistance in Azerbaijan, and if the Azerbaijani public had not
expressed its attitude unequivocally, perhaps they would have spent
more time in prison.”

In Karimli’s opinion, this example must become a positive message to
the Azerbaijani public. “The public must know that if it shows unity
and defends rights without internal divisions, any government will
eventually concede. The release of the KLO members is one such
example.”

Karimli said there were two reasons for the suspended
sentences. “First, when the government cannot keep someone in prison,
it gives a suspended sentence, so that punishing that person will
become easier next time. A suspended sentence always remains an
intimidation tool against people involved in politics and public
affairs. Second, the government has tried to somehow save its face by
not acquitting them. Because if they were acquitted, the entire world
would know that the judiciary in Azerbaijan is such that it can easily
give five or four-year imprisonment verdicts to innocent people. The
meaning of the suspended sentence is to show that they are guilty, but
not that much.”