The executive director of “Kanal 13” internet television, Aziz Orujov, faces a 3-month pretrial detention following an arrest warrant issued by the Sabail District Court. Orujov’s lawyer, Bahruz Bayramov, has deemed this decision illegal and plans to file an appeal against it.
The charge against Orujov under Article 188.2 of the Criminal Code, related to unauthorized construction on land without ownership, use, or lease rights, is typically categorized as a less severe offense. Bayramov highlighted that such charges seldom warrant detention during the investigative period, citing that it occurs in approximately one out of 1000-1500 cases where the accused either committed multiple offenses or failed to cooperate with investigations.
The accusation pertains to the construction of a house in the Sabail district without state authorization. Orujov contends that this allegation is baseless and linked to his leadership at the channel, implying a repercussion for his journalistic activity.
Bayramov also disputes the validity of the accusation, noting that approximately 2000 other buildings in the vicinity lack proper permission documents. He questions the selective action against Orujov amidst a landscape where countless dwellings exist without official sanction, totaling around 500,000 houses in Baku and the Absheron peninsula.
Allegations of complaints from individuals residing in the area where Orujov’s house stands prompt further scrutiny. Bayramov challenges the credibility of these complaints, questioning the legitimacy of their basis if these complainants themselves inhabit undocumented residences without ownership confirmations.
The sequence of events includes a search of Orujov’s residence and the subsequent office of “Channel 13” on November 27, culminating in his detainment as a suspect. Notably, Orujov had previously faced administrative detention in May 2017, later charged with illegal entrepreneurship and abuse of official powers. Despite a six-year prison sentence, he received a conditional release in April 2018 following Supreme Court intervention, maintaining his stance that the internet television he led faced repercussions for its critical coverage.
These developments occur amidst a larger context where the director and editor-in-chief of the “AbzasMedia” website, known for investigative journalism on corruption, Ulvi Hasanli and Sevinj Vagifqizi were detained on November 20 on smuggling charges. The journalists vehemently deny these allegations, attributing their arrests to their anti-corruption investigations.
