Azerbaijan, Baku / Тrend corr K. Zarbaliyeva / The court upheld the sentence for Azerbaijani ex-health minister, Ali Insanov. On 21 September, the Baku Appeal Court announced a verdict regarding the appeal of Insanov, who is accused of corruption and official misconduct together with other employees of the ministry.
Insanov was detained in October, 2005. He was accused of attempting a coup d'etat and mass riots. By the decision made by the Azerbaijani Court on Heinous Crimes dated 20 April, Ali Insanov was found guilty in appropriation of property and abuse of power and sentenced to an 11-year imprisonment.
The Court of Appeal reduced the imprisonment term of Parviz Karimov and Fakhraddin Abbasov, who are accused of misappropriation and dissipation of State property, from 7 to 5 years. Taking into account their other crimes they were sentenced to 5 ? years imprisonment.
The imprisonment term of Akif Maharramov, (7 years), which has spent 1 year and 1 month and 23 days in house arrest, was upheld. Alexander Umrashkin, who has already spent 11 months and 15 days in house arrest, will be imprisoned for 1 year 11 months and 2 days.
The sentences of the other accused persons were not changed.
The ex-minister's attorney, Toghrul Babayev, who considers the sentence to be unjust, said to Trend that they would submit an appeal against the Appeal Court to the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan. "In case Azerbaijani courts do not issue a fair verdict with respect to Insanov, we will apply to the European Court on Human Rights," Babayev said.
Presently he is held in the Bail Isolation Cell 1 of the Penitentiary Service of Azerbaijan. He demands to be transferred to the Patient Care Institution of the Penitentiary Service. Medical examinations on him have proved that he suffers from a vertebral hernia.
Previously, together with Ali Insanov, the Court sentenced Fakhraddin Abbasov, Anar Namazov and Parviz Kazimov to 7 ? years imprisonment, Fuad Mahmudov 5 year probation, Vekil Abbasov 4 year probation, Akif Maharramov 9 years of imprisonment, Eldar Rzayev 7 years of imprisonment, Haji Aliyev 7 years imprisonment (5 year probation), Shovgi Jafarov 7 years (5 year probation), Alexander Umrashkin 3 years of imprisonment.