Category : Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan: Editor’s drug trial begins
Eynulla Fatullayev goes on trial on "trumped up" drugs charges while the European Court examines previous charges.
Vugar Gojayev reports from Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan: Editor Eynulla Fatullayev loses appeal
Imprisoned newspaper editor Eynulla Fatullayev has lost an appeal against his drugs conviction. Baku Appellate Court dismissed Fatullayev’s plea to have his sentence reduced by two months. Fatullayev had the term of his detention prolonged by eight weeks earlier this month when 0.223 grams of heroin was found during his cell. In October 2007, Fatullayev, […]
Azerbaijani journalists forbidden from filming subjects
Laws were revised late last Friday forbidding journalists from filming, recording or photographing subjects without their express permission. Parliamentarian Panah Huseynov claims this is a move to restrict the freedom of press and announced he would appeal to the courts regarding the law. Several prominent newspaper editors, including the former editor of the Russian-language weekly […]
Azerbaijan convicts newspaper editor of libel
Newspaper editor Ayyub Karimov has been given a 18-month suspended sentence after being convicted of libelling the interior minister Ramil Usubov. Ububov claimed articles printed in the Azadlyg and Femida 007 newspapers were inaccurate and damaged his dignity and honour, citing article 147.2 of the criminal code, slander by accusal of committing grave crimes. The […]
Azerbaijan: editor charged
Imprisoned newspaper editor Eynulla Fatullayev has been charged with drugs offences after Azerbaijani authorities claim to have found heroin in his cell. After brief court session it has been ruled that he should stand under the new charge. This fresh accusation comes as the European Court of Human Rights deliberates his case. Read more here
Azerbaijan: donkey video bloggers sentenced
Bloggers Adnan Hajizada and Emin Milli were sentenced on 11 November to two years and two-and-a-half years in prison respectively. Human rights groups and analysts believe the sentences are politically motivated, and that the they were sentenced on trumped-up charges. Before the incident and their subsequent arrest, the bloggers had criticised the government through a […]
Bloggers’ trial marred by irregularities
The trial of Adnan Hajizada and Emin Milli, the two Azerbaijani bloggers facing charges of “hooliganism” and “deliberate physical violence”, resumed yesterday.
Azerbaijan: new charge against bloggers
An additional charge of “intentional physical violence” have been brought against Adnan Hadji Zadeh and Emin Milli, two bloggers who have been held on a hooliganism charge since July in Azerbaijan. The new charge carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison, in addition to the five years they are already facing for hooliganism. […]
Azerbaijanis in Eurovision probe
Forty-three Azerbaijani music fans who voted for neighbouring Armenia in this year’s Eurovision song contest have been detained and questioned about their “ethnic pride”. Azerbaijan’s national security ministry has allegedly spoken to each of the 43 Azerbaijani who voted for Armenian duo Inga and Anush, singing Jan Jan, rather than AySel and Arash’s Azerbaijani entry. […]
Two bloggers denied appeal in Azerbaijan
Azerbaijani bloggers, Adnan Hadji Zadeh and Emin Mili, have lost their appeal for release and are being detained for two months pending trial on hooliganism charges. Media rights group, Reporters sans Frontieres say the charges are without grounds and that the bloggers have been assaulted. Read more here
