Sakit Zahidov at a preliminary court hearing in August (Turan)
October 4, 2006 -- An Azerbaijani court has sentenced an opposition journalist to three years in prison for illegal possession and use of drugs.
Sakit Zahidov, a columnist for the "Azadliq" daily and an outspoken critic of President Ilham Aliyev was arrested in June for possession of 10 grams of heroin.
Zahidov and his colleagues say the drugs were planted on him.
(Turan, ITAR-TASS)