Azerbaijani anticorruption blogger sentenced to two years in prison
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 3 March 2017 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Azerbaijani anticorruption blogger sentenced to two years in prison, 3 March 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5975a5d4c.html [accessed 25 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. |
March 03, 2017
Mehman Huseynov
BAKU – An Azerbaijani blogger known for reports seeking to document corruption has been convicted of libel and sentenced to two years in prison.
A court in Baku convicted Mehman Huseynov of libel on March 3 for statements he made about police.
Huseynov and his lawyer Elcin Sadiqov said the verdict and sentence are politically motivated.
Huseynov was detained on January 9 and found guilty the following day of resisting police.
Police filed libel charges against Huseynov after he said on January 10 that officers had beaten him and demanded he stop his anticorruption activities.
In December and January, Huseynov had posted photographs of luxury homes he alleged belonged to government officials and lawmakers.
Human rights groups accuse long-ruling President Ilham Aliyev's government of fabricating criminal cases to stifle dissent and media freedom in the oil-producing Caspian Sea country.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
