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The United States is deeply disappointed by the judicial process leading to the March 17 sentencing of opposition Republican Alternative (REAL) Movement Head Ilgar Mammadov and opposition Musavat Party Deputy Chair Tofig Yagublu to lengthy prison terms on charges of allegedly inciting the January 23-24, 2013, unrest in Ismayilli. Reads the statement delivered by the U.S. Ambassador Daniel B. Baer that can be found on the site of the mission.

On March 17 Mamedov and Yagublu were sentenced to eight and five years in prison on charges of organizing riots in Ismailly in January 2013.

“Before and during the legal process, the United States urged Azerbaijani officials at all levels – including here at the Permanent Council – to ensure an open and fair trial of the defendants,” Daniel B. Baer notes. According to him both U.S. and other observers saw significant irregularities in witness testimony and court proceedings.

“My government calls on the Government of Azerbaijan to engage with the OSCE to address Azerbaijan’s challenges and implement its OSCE commitments related to the freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, and association constructively,” the statement reads.

Note that the verdict of the Azerbaijani court was condemned by such organizations as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, “Reporters without Borders”, "Committee to Protect Journalists," as well as the EU, PACE co-rapporteurs, the U.S. Embassy in Baku and the French Foreign Ministry.

Note that on March 17 the court sentenced the leader of the Azerbaijani opposition movement "REAL" Ilgar Mammadov to seven, and deputy chairman of the "Musavat" party Tofig Yagublu - to five years' imprisonment. They were accused of organizing riots in Ismailly in January last year. Unrests in Ismailli district began at the evening of January 23, after an accident in which the nephew of the head of Nizami Alekperov and son of the Minister of Labor Fizuli Alekperov - Vugar Alekperov - were involved. His car crashed into another car, Alekperov then began to insult the local residents. According to one of Ismailli residents, relative of the minister took a pack of money out of his pocket and said: "You have no dignity (geyret), I can buy your mothers and sisters for this money. "Information about the insults spread through the district and angry residents began to smash the commercial entities of Alekperov’s family up. Internal troops and Special Forces were involved in the incident. They fired rubber bullets and tear gas. As a result of clashes many people were arrested and dozens injured.

Ilgar Mammadov and a group of oppositionists who came to Ismaili on 24 January were not allowed to enter the city by the police and were sent back.

Ismailli region is located in the north of Azerbaijan and is bordered by Guba region, where in March 2012 the population rioted against lawlessness of Azerbaijani officials.