12 June 2019 – Journalist Polad Aslanov, chief editor of independent news websites Xeberman and Press-az was arrested on charges of high treason according to his lawyer Elchin Sadigov, Azerbaijan Service for Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty reported.
The journalist is facing a life sentence if found guilty.
Update:
14 June 2019 – An Azerbaijani court ruled that journalist Polad Aslanov would remain in detention, sentencing him to four months in pretrial detention pending an investigation.
24 June 2019 – An appeals court ruled against releasing Polad Aslanov despite the journalist’s plea of innocence, independent Meydan TV reported.
Links:
http://aws-www.meydan.tv/az/article/ba-redaktorun-apelyasiya-ikayti-tmin-edilmyib/?ref=search
https://www.azadliq.org/a/polad-aslanov-4-ayl%C4%B1q-h%C9%99bs-edilib/29999956.html
Categories: Arrest/detention/interrogation; Criminal charges/fines/sentences; Subpoena/court order/lawsuits; Legal measures
Sources of violation: Police/state security; Government/state agency/public officials/political party; Court/judicial
7 June 2019 – Journalist Shohvalad Chobanoglu was denied his request to remove a travel ban, online news site Abzas reported.
Chobanoglu has been under a travel ban, which prevents him from leaving the country, since 2014. Chobanoglu appealed to the prosecutors office to consider removing his ban following a series of travel ban removals affecting other journalists,
However, prosecutors said, they will add the journalist’s request to the criminal case against him and respond at a later time. Chobanoglu considers this as a “no”, given he has submitted similar requests before, and was given the same response.
According to an independent non-governmental organisation Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Center there are currently 30 representatives of Azerbaijani civil society, including journalists, facing a travel ban.
Links: https://smdtaz.org/en/siyasi-motivli-s%C9%99yah%C9%99t-qadagalari/
https://www.azadliq.info/227669.html
Categories: Criminal charges/fines/sentences; Intimidation; Subpoena/court order/lawsuits;
Sources of violation: Police/state security; Government/state agency/public official; Court/judicial;
An editor at the Irish newspaper, the Sunday World, calls for renewed investigation into journalist’s murder.
Kioomars Marzban, a 27-year-old satirical writer from Iran, was sentenced to 23 years and 3 months in prison. He was found guilty on five separate charges, given a two-year travel ban, and a two-year ban on publishing or using social media.
Pakistan’s journalists have faced harassment and interference, pressure on media owners is common, and the government has taken to interrupting the distribution of news it dislikes.
A coalition of eight media freedom and journalists’ organisations are calling on Russian authorities to immediately stop the harassment of journalists who have been covering the recent protests in Moscow.
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