21:27, 30 November 2018

BCA leaves Azerbaijani journalist Afghan Sadygov under arrest

The Baku Court of Appeal. Photo © Sputnik / Murad Orujov https://sputnik.az/news/20171211/413130601/eli-hesenovun-nevesinin-ishine-baxilir.html

The Baku Court of Appeal (BCA) has dismissed the complaint filed by Afghan Sadygov, who was sentenced to 30 days of arrest on the charge of failure to obey to law enforcers. The journalist has pleaded not guilty. He intends to apply to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on November 27, Afghan Sadygov, the editor-in-chief of the website "Azel.tv", was detained near the presidential administration building in Baku, where family members of the soldiers and officers killed during the Karabakh conflict demanded compensation. The Sabail District Court of Baku found the journalist guilty of disobeying the police.

According to Sevindj Sadygova, a spouse of Afghan Sadygov, a reporter of the website "Azel.tv", the court stated in its decision that "Afghan Sadygov made noises in front of the presidential administration and violated order, and when law enforcers called him on to stop his illegal actions, he did not obey."

Afghan Sadygov was sentenced to 1.5 years on the charge of attacking a woman at an official's reception. On May 23, he was released. The journalist pleaded not guilty, and his relatives treated his prosecution as a revenge for criticism of the authorities. Law enforcers tried to bribe Afghan Sadygov and threaten him in attempts to stop his criticism of the authorities on website "Azel.tv", reported his relatives and an advocate. The journalist is included in the list of 167 political prisoners.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on November 30, 2018 at 02:00 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: Faik Medjid

Source: CK correspondent