Journalists Imprisoned in 2017 - Elchin Ismayilli
| Publisher | Committee to Protect Journalists |
| Publication Date | 31 December 2017 |
| Cite as | Committee to Protect Journalists, Journalists Imprisoned in 2017 - Elchin Ismayilli, 31 December 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a5c94044.html [accessed 5 June 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. |
Kend | Imprisoned in Azerbaijan | February 17, 2017
| Job: | Editor |
| Medium: | Internet |
| Beats Covered: | Human Rights |
| Gender: | Male |
| Local or Foreign: | Local |
| Freelance: | No |
| Charge: | Retaliatory |
| Length of Sentence: | 5 years to <10 years |
| Reported Health Problems: | No |
Azerbaijan's Sheki city Court for Grave Crimes on September 18, 2017, sentenced Elchin Ismayilli, editor and founder of news website Kend, to nine years in prison on charges of bribery, extortion, and abuse of power in office, according to media reports. The journalist denied all charges, and said he would appeal the court's decision.
Kend, now defunct, was known for reporting on corruption and human rights violations in the Ismayilli region in Azerbaijan's northwest.
Ismayilli also contributed to the U.S. Congress-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Azerbaijani service, locally known as Azadliq, and the independent newspaper Azadliq.
Police detained Ismayilli on February 17, 2017, and initially accused him of threatening a local government official, the independent news website Meydan TV reported. The following day, police charged the journalist with attempted extortion and abuse of office, according to Meydan TV.
Police claimed that Ismayilli attempted to extort 1000 manats (US$600) from a state tourism agency official, and threatened to publish compromising material on the tourism industry should the official fail to pay, the regional news website Kavkazsky Uzel reported.
Ismayilli denied the charges, and said he never reported on tourism. Ismayilli's lawyer, Elchin Sadygov, said the journalist asked his acquaintance, who worked at the local department of culture and the tourism ministry, to borrow 1,000 Azerbaijani manats (US$600), according to Kavkazsky Uzel.
Ismayilli was being held in the Kurdakhani pretrial detention center in Baku.
