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Today, on June 20, the Baku Grave Crimes Court sentenced the defendants in the \u201cAbzas Media case\u201d trial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to the verdict, \u201cAbzas Media\u201d director Ulvi Hasanli, editor-in-chief Sevinj Vagifqizi, investigative journalist Hafiz Babali, \u201cRadio Liberty\u201d journalist and economist Farid Mehral\u0131zadeh were sentenced to nine years in prison, reporters Nargiz Absalamova and Elnara Gasimova to eight years, and deputy director Mahammad Kekalov to seven years and six months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The arrests in the \u201cAbzas Media case\u201d began on November 20, 2023. Six employees of \u201cAbzas Media\u201d conducting corruption investigations in Azerbaijan were arrested \u2013 director Ulvi Hasanli, his deputy Mahammad Kekalov, editor-in-chief Sevinj Vagifqizi, reporters Nargiz Absalamova and Elnara Gasimova, and investigative journalist Hafiz Babali.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In May of last year, Radio Free Europe\/Radio Liberty journalist and economist Farid Mehralizadeh was also arrested in the \u201cAbzas Media case.\u201d On the same day, Abzas Media issued a statement saying it had no ties to Mehralizadeh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The journalists deny the charges and say their arrests are politically motivated for their corruption investigations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Local and international human rights organizations consider these arrests politically motivated and call for the journalists\u2019 release and the charges against them to be dropped.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Today, on June 20, the Baku Grave Crimes Court sentenced … <\/p>\n