Baku Court of Appeal leaves Sardar Alibeili, editor-in-chief of newspaper "P.S. Nota", in custody

The Baku Court of Appeal has considered an appeal filed by Sardar Alibeili, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper "P.S. Nota" and of the online edition with the same name, charged of disorderly conduct. The journalist challenged the selected pre-trial restriction measure the arrest for a period of two months. The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal of the journalist and left him in custody.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on July 31, Sardar Alibeili was arrested in the tea house located near the "Narimanov" metro station. He was charged of disorderly conduct with using a weapon. On August 2, the Khatai District Court of Baku arrested Sardar Alibeili for a period of two months. The journalist denies the charge and claims being persecuted for political reasons.

In his interview to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, Elchin Sadygov, the advocate of Sardar Alibeili, has stated that the journalist is "charged of trumped-up charges."

According to the Elchin Sadygov's version, today, the Court could release Sardar Alibeili on the recognizance not to leave or to take him under home arrest. However, the defender believes, judges of the Court of Appeal considered the appeal formally and dismissed it.

Earlier, the Media Rights Institute (MRI) has strongly condemned the arrest of Sardar Alibeili and called it a politically motivated arrest. The MRI has reminded that earlier, Sardar Alibeili was subjected to criminal prosecution. For the last time, he was sentenced in 2009 to four months of imprisonment on charge of defamation.