Dozens of activists in Azerbaijan have clashed with police in Baku after a court issued sentences against eight activists of the youth opposition NIDA movement.
The court found the eight guilty of organizing mass disorders, and illegal drugs and weapons possession and sentenced them to jail terms between six and eight years on May 6.
Dozens of the sentenced activists' supporters protested the sentences near the court building.
Police forcibly dispersed the protesters, detaining several of them, including some individuals wearing "Press" vests.
[See more multimedia coverage of the clashes by RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service.]
The eight NIDA activists were arrested after they took part in an antigovernment protest in Baku in March 2013. They and their mothers have been on hunger strike protesting their arrest.
Azerbaijan is expected to take over the rotating chairmanship of the Council of Europe this month.
The court found the eight guilty of organizing mass disorders, and illegal drugs and weapons possession and sentenced them to jail terms between six and eight years on May 6.
Dozens of the sentenced activists' supporters protested the sentences near the court building.
Police forcibly dispersed the protesters, detaining several of them, including some individuals wearing "Press" vests.
[See more multimedia coverage of the clashes by RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service.]
The eight NIDA activists were arrested after they took part in an antigovernment protest in Baku in March 2013. They and their mothers have been on hunger strike protesting their arrest.
Azerbaijan is expected to take over the rotating chairmanship of the Council of Europe this month.
