The editor-in-chief of Journalistic Research Center (jam.az) news website Fikrat (Ibishbeyli) Faramazoghlu’s court case came to an end in the Baku Court of Grave Crimes yesterday on June 14.
During his closing speech he underlined that the accusations are baseless and that he did not take any money from anyone: “I’m being punished only for criticizing the police. I haven’t seen justice in this court, but nevertheless I’ll defend my rights till the end.”
The court process ended with the judge’s verdict. Faramazoghlu has been sentenced to seven years, included deprivation of journalistic activity for two years.
According to the criminal investigation, the owner of one of the restaurants in Baku’s Khatai district appealed to the Interior Ministry, complaining that Faramazoghlu was publishing articles aimed at defaming the restaurant.
In return for deleting the articles from the website, Faramazoglu demanded from him AZN 1,000, which was paid on April, 2016. According to the investigation Faramazoghlu demanded the owner paying him monthly AZN 5,000 in order that not to publish any articles on the same issue.
The investigations justified the plaintiff’s complaints and Faramazoglu was supposedly caught receiving a 3,000 AZN bribe from the restaurant owner.
Fikrat Faramazoglu was arrested on June 30, 2016 and charged under Article 182 (extortion) of the Criminal Code.
