Azerbaijan jails 14 over online discussions of power outage, shooting
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 10 July 2018 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Azerbaijan jails 14 over online discussions of power outage, shooting, 10 July 2018, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5bc050e5a.html [accessed 27 May 2023] |
| 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. |
July 10, 2018 13:18 GMT
By RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service
On July 3, Azerbaijan experienced a blackout that affected almost the entire country. Hours later, Thousands of people were stranded underground in subway cars after power went out for a second time in Baku on July 3.
BAKU – Azerbaijan's Interior Ministry says 14 people have been sentenced to jail terms ranging from 10 to 30 days for online comments about a massive power outage and a high-profile shooting last week.
The ministry said on July 9 that the 14, all men, were jailed for "illegal calls [issued] on social networks." It did not provide details.
Two other men were fined and three were being investigated, the ministry said.
On July 3, Azerbaijan experienced a blackout that affected almost the entire country. Hours later, power went out for a second time in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, stranding thousands underground in subway cars.
The authorities said an explosion at a hydroelectric power station in the northern city of Mingacevir was to blame. President Ilham Aliyev's office also said hot weather and heavy air-conditioner use overloaded the power grid.
The same day, an attacker shot Elmar Valiyev – the top official in Ganca, the South Caucasus country's second-largest city – and his bodyguard. Both were wounded.
The blackouts and the shooting were widely discussed by Azerbaijanis on social media, with many criticizing the government over the power outages.
Aliyev's opponents, Western countries, and international human rights groups, say his government has persistently persecuted independent media outlets, journalists, and opposition politicians and activists in the former Soviet republic of about 10 million.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
