A court in Azerbaijan sentenced Radio Liberty/Azadlyg journalist Farid Mekhralizade to nine years in prison in the Abzas Media case, reported Current Time*.
The founder and director of Abzas Media Ulvi Hasanli, the chief editor of the publication Sevinj Abbasova, and the editor of the Turan agency also received nine years in prison, Hasanli's deputy Magomed Kekalov received seven and a half years, and journalists Nargiz Absalomova and Elnara Gasymova received eight years each.
The defendants in the case were charged with articles on smuggling, tax evasion, and legalization of property obtained by criminal means. The journalists do not agree with the charges. They believe that the criminal case is a political order related to their professional activities.
Mekhralizade emphasized that he specialized in economic topics and informed readers about trends that hinder the country's development. 'The fact that this potential has not yet been realized due to systemic management incapability—and that I dared to speak about it—is the real reason I am standing before you now,' he stated in his final words.
He reported that like thousands of other people in the country, he is accused of a crime he did not commit. 'Although formally the process is framed as a dispute between the prosecution and the defense, in reality, we are witnessing a struggle between good and evil—in both senses of the word. And let's not forget: good always wins in the end,' the journalist said.
Arrests in the Abzas Media publication began on November 20, 2023. On that day, Ulvi Hasanli and Magomed Kekalov were detained. Searches were conducted in their homes and the publication's office. Later, other employees of the publication were detained, and on May 30, 2024, law enforcement took Radio Liberty journalist Mekhralizade to the police station. At the same time, he did not work at Abzas Media, but the prosecution 'appointed' him the position of an economic expert in the indictment.
Reporters Without Borders condemned the sentence of Farid Mekhralizade and the journalists of Abzas Media and called for their immediate release. The trial against them was called a 'parody of justice' that 'exposes the scale of the Azerbaijani regime's war against independent journalism.'
In June 2017, after the publication of an investigation into illegal financial operations related to the family of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, the website of the Azerbaijani service of Radio Liberty was blocked by court order.
* Recognized in Russia as a 'foreign agent' and 'undesirable' organization.
Photo: Radio Liberty