U.S., OSCE express concern at conviction of opposition activists in Azerbaijan

AP Worldstream;
Jul 13, 2006

The United States and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe expressed concern on Thursday that three Azerbaijani opposition
youth activists convicted of attempting to forcefully seize power in
this ex-Soviet republic had not received a fair trial.

On Wednesday a court in the capital, Baku, sentenced Ruslan Bashirli
to seven years in prison, Ramin Tagiyev to four years and Said Nuriyev
to a suspended sentence of five years.

The U.S. Embassy said in a statement it was "deeply concerned" by
indications that their legal rights had not been respected.

The OSCE, a trans-Atlantic democracy and security watchdog, echoed
the criticism, saying that the trial "fell short of international
standards in upholding rule of law."

The three members of the Yeni Fikir, or New Thought, youth group were
arrested in August and September in the run-up to last year’s disputed
parliamentary elections and charged with attempting to stage a coup.

Yeni Fikir’s leader Bashirli and his two deputies, Tagiyev and Nuriyev,
were accused of cooperating with intelligence services from Armenia,
Azerbaijan’s longtime foe.

Their lawyer Osman Kyazomov said Thursday that they planned to appeal
to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France.

Human rights groups and the opposition have accused the authoritarian
government in Azerbaijan of using the case to crack down on its
political opponents. All three denied the charges.

President Ilham Aliev’s government maintained its grip on parliament
in November’s elections, which handed the ruling party a majority in
the 125-seat legislature with the support of government-affiliated
independent lawmakers.

Western observers criticized the polls as flawed, but the United
States and European countries have not endorsed opposition demands
for new elections, fearful of upsetting stability in the oil-rich
Caspian Sea nation, which borders Iran.