01 July 2003 03:45
Former interior ministry`s sentence revised
BAKU. July 1 (Interfax) - The Azerbaijani Court of Appeals on Tuesday sentenced Former Interior Minister Iskender
Gamidov to 11 years in prison, an Interfax correspondent reported from the courtroom.
The court's panel, led by Rakhman Mirzoyedov, which looked into Gamidov's case, found him guilty of
large-scale misappropriation and embezzlement of state property, assault and abuse of office.
Gamidov served as the country's interior minister in 1992-1993. In early 1995, he was charged with abuse of
office and large-scale misappropriation of state funds. In March, he was arrested, and was sentenced to 14 years
imprisonment on September 15.
After Azerbaijan joined the Council of Europe on January 25, 2001, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of
Europe demanded that Azerbaijan release people included in its lists of political prisoners, among them Gamidov.
At the end of 2001, the Azerbaijani prosecutor general pushed for revising the former interior ministry's
case.
Baku, however, has disagreed with PACE over the assembly's position on political prisoners and called on the
Council of Europe to provide a clearer definition of political prisoners and determine to whom it applies. [AZ EUROPE
EEU EMRG LEG POL] tm aw <>
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