{"id":330707,"date":"2025-05-20T18:41:38","date_gmt":"2025-05-20T14:41:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.meydan.tv\/?p=330707"},"modified":"2025-05-20T18:41:40","modified_gmt":"2025-05-20T14:41:40","slug":"prosecutor-requests-prison-sentences-for-journalists-detained-in-abzasmedia-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.meydan.tv\/en\/article\/prosecutor-requests-prison-sentences-for-journalists-detained-in-abzasmedia-case\/","title":{"rendered":"Prosecutor requests prison sentences for journalists detained in \u201cAbzasMedia Case\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>The state prosecutor has requested 11 to 12 years of imprisonment for the journalists.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On May 20, during the court hearing on the &#8220;AbzasMedia case&#8221;, the state prosecutor requested prison sentences for the journalists detained in connection with the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the trial at the Baku Grave Crimes Court, presided over by Judge Rasim Sadikhov, state prosecutor Rauf Malishov requested 12-year prison sentences for Ulvi Hasanli, director of &#8220;AbzasMedia,&#8221; investigative journalist Hafiz Babali, and &#8220;Azadliq&#8221; Radio journalist Farid Mehralizada. He also requested 11-year sentences for Sevinj Vagifgizi, the outlet\u2019s editor-in-chief; coordinator Mahammad Kekalov; and journalists Nargiz Absalamova and Elnara Gasimova.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The prosecutor also requested that the journalists be prohibited from holding positions involving financial or ethical responsibility for a period of three years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A representative from the State Tax Service called for the approval of a civil lawsuit seeking 64,000 manats in compensation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The prosecutor also proposed the confiscation of a Kia vehicle owned by F. Mehralizada, 40,000 euros allegedly found in the \u201cAbzasMedia\u201d office, and more than 20,000 manats held in various bank accounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Defense lawyers have been granted time until June 10 to present their closing statements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The trial is scheduled to continue on June 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Since November 20, 2023, six members of &#8220;AbzasMedia,&#8221; a publication recognized for its corruption investigations in Azerbaijan, have been detained in relation to the &#8220;AbzasMedia case.&#8221; These individuals include director Ulvi Hasanli, his deputy Mahammad Kekalov, editor-in-chief Sevinj Vagifgizi, reporters Nargiz Absalamova and Elnara Gasimova, and investigative journalist Hafiz Babali. Additionally, in May of the previous year, economist and &#8220;Azadliq&#8221; Radio journalist Farid Mehralizada was also detained in connection with the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Initially, all the journalists faced charges of smuggling. However, in August 2024, the charges in the &#8220;AbzasMedia case&#8221; were escalated to more severe crimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Both local and international human rights organizations view the arrests as politically motivated and continue to demand the release of the journalists and the dropping of charges against them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The state prosecutor has requested 11 to 12 years of &#8230; <\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more-container\"><a title=\"Prosecutor requests prison sentences for journalists detained in \u201cAbzasMedia Case\u201d\" class=\"read-more button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.meydan.tv\/en\/article\/prosecutor-requests-prison-sentences-for-journalists-detained-in-abzasmedia-case\/#more-330707\" aria-label=\"Read more about Prosecutor requests prison sentences for journalists detained in \u201cAbzasMedia Case\u201d\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":330708,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_sitemap_exclude":false,"_sitemap_priority":"","_sitemap_frequency":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[80,37,38],"tags":[175,125,127,145,147,144,176],"class_list":["post-330707","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-en","category-news","category-politics","tag-abzasmedia","tag-azerbaijan","tag-azerbaijani-opposition","tag-free-journalism","tag-government-repression","tag-press-freedom","tag-sevincvaqifqizi","infinite-scroll-item","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33","no-featured-image-padding"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - 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