Journalists Imprisoned in 2017 - Ziya Asadli
| Publisher | Committee to Protect Journalists |
| Publication Date | 31 December 2017 |
| Cite as | Committee to Protect Journalists, Journalists Imprisoned in 2017 - Ziya Asadli, 31 December 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a5c928e26.html [accessed 2 November 2019] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Azadliq | Imprisoned in Azerbaijan | September 05, 2017
| Job: | Internet Reporter |
| Medium: | Internet |
| Beats Covered: | Corruption |
| Gender: | Male |
| Local or Foreign: | Local |
| Freelance: | No |
| Charge: | Retaliatory |
| Length of Sentence: | 1 year to <5 years |
| Reported Health Problems: | Yes |
Azerbaijan's Bilasuvar district court on September 5, 2017, sentenced Ziya Asadli, regional correspondent of the independent newspaper Azadliq, to three years in prison on criminal charges of hooliganism with the use of a weapon or an object that can be used as a weapon, and ordered his immediate arrest, according to the regional news website Kavkazsky Uzel.
The case against the journalist was opened soon after Asadli reported on April 5 protests in the Neftchala district in Azerbaijan's east, Kavkazsky Uzel reported. The journalist had interviewed local residents who complained about poverty, unemployment, and cuts in gas supplies.
On April 19, Asadli was allegedly assaulted by a local teahouse's manager, who said he had previously warned the journalist not to visit the teahouse because he was "an opposition member," according to media reports. Asadli told the regional news website Kavkazsky Uzel that the teahouse manager attacked him, took his phone, and broke it. In response, the journalist notified police.
The manager then filed a complained to the local police alleging Asadli assaulted him with the phone in question. On May 3, 2017, Azerbaijani authorities opened a criminal case against Asadli.
Authorities have been holding the journalist in a Baku detention center since his September 5 sentencing.
According to his lawyer Elchin Sadygov, the journalist plans to appeal.
According to media reports and Sadygov, Asadli suffers from poor health, including problems with lung capacity.
