An Azerbaijani court has once again denied an appeal by Adnan Hajizada, an activist and U. Richmond alumnus.

Hajizada, Richmond College ’05, recently began his second year in prison after being arrested July 8, 2009, in Baku, Azerbaijan with fellow activist Emin Milli, for hooliganism and causing bodily harm.

Azerbaijani law dictates that a person is eligible for parole halfway though his or her prison sentence, contingent upon their behavior. During the appeal process, Hajizada was accused of not contributing to the renovations of the prison — a charge denied by Hajizada’s lawyer, who said that the decision to deny his client parole was politically motivated.

Last week’s decision marks the second time that Hajizada has lost an appeal, the most recent coming in March 2010.