Azerbaijani courts sentenced a human rights defender to three years in prison following a flawed trial on dubious charges of interference with parliamentary elections, Human Rights Watch said September 1. Separately, six other opposition activists were sentenced to terms of up to three years following unfair trials over their role in anti-government protests.

The Azerbaijani authorities should end its crackdown on critics of the government and release the imprisoned activists, Human Rights Watch said. These trumped-up charges and flawed trials show how this government operates to silence critical voices, the organisation’s official website reported.