Azernews.Az

BAKU – An Azerbaijani political activist was sentenced to two years in jail on Wednesday on charges of evading military service.

Bakhtiyar Hajiyev’s defense lawyer said the verdict, pronounced at a Ganja court, would be appealed.

Hajiyev was convicted over draft evasion, but he and defense lawyers claim he was being punished over rallying public support for anti-government protests.

The prosecution of Hajiyev and another young activist a few weeks after they used Facebook to call for antigovernment protests was denounced in the European Parliament’s recent resolution, which condemned what it called the worsening human rights situation in Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijani officials have lambasted the resolution, labeling it biased.

The US embassy in Baku issued a statement later on Wednesday saying the timing of Hajiyev’s arrest, which immediately followed his efforts to organize anti-government protests in Azerbaijan, "raised questions about authorities’ use of the judicial system to punish dissent".

"The United States firmly supports the strengthening of democratic institutions and the rule of law in Azerbaijan and calls upon judicial authorities to ensure Mr. Hajiyev’s appeals are reviewed in accordance with Azerbaijani law and international commitments," the statement said.