Azerbaijan: two journalists convicted for slander

On October 8, Sardar Alibeili, editor-in-chief of the Azerbaijani newspaper "Nota", and Faramaz Allakhverdiev, an employee of this edition (also known under pseudonym Faramaz Novruzoglu), were sentenced to three months of imprisonment each on charges of slander and insult.

This decision was passed by the Baku Appeal Court under presidency of Judge Dzhamal Ramazanov.

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told at the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS) that the judge prohibited any photo or video filming of the trial.

Let us note here that the verdict with imprisonment of the journalists was passed back on July 22 by the Nizami District Court of Baku, which found Alibeili and Allakhverdiev guilty under Articles 148 (insult) and 147.2 (slander on committing a grave crime).

Another employee of this newspaper - Ramiz Tagiev - was also found guilty under Article 147.2 and convicted to 6 months of corrective works. However, then, Judge Ziya Aliev of the Nizami Court postponed the enforcement of the verdict until consideration of the appeal complaint lodged by the convicts.

The Baku Appeal Court denied the complaint; and Alibeili and Allakhverdiev were arrested right in the courtroom.

The journalists were convicted under the claim of Takhmasib Novruzov, head of the "Association of Freedom Advocates", who found the publications in the newspaper "Nota" in March-April 2009 about his alleged financial frauds to be insulting and slanderous.

Director of the IRFS Emin Guseinov has noted that Alibeili and Allakhverdiev have ambiguous reputation in Azerbaijan. In particular, another claim had been lodged against Allakhverdiev under Articles 147 (slander) and 148 (insult) by human rights activist Chingiz Ganizade.

Besides, on August 19, Judge Arif Ismailov from the Nariman Court passed a decision on the claim of human rights activist Elchin Bekhbudov against Allakhverdiev. The court then obliged the journalist to publish a refutation and pay a fine of 1500 manats.

"However, our Institute is monitoring their cases, because they are attracted to criminal liability on charges of defamation. Our position of principle is that journalists should not be subjected to criminal prosecution for their publications," Mr Guseinov has explained.