A court in Azerbaijan has sentenced journalist and economist Farid Mehralizada to nine years in prison on charges he says are directly related to his critical reporting for the Azerbaijani Service of Radio Free Europe (RFE/RL), known locally as Azadliq Radiosu.
The Baku Serious Crimes Court found Mehralizade and six other journalists guilty on Friday. All of them denied the charges.
In his closing remarks, Mehralizada said he understands that "the decision you will read will not be the decision of the judges, but of those who ordered our arrest."
"If they want, they can give us life sentences, or even change the penal code, restore the death penalty and take us to execution. Because in countries where the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary are not respected, judicial processes are nothing more than a fake smile from authoritarian governments," he added.
Mehralizada was first arrested on May 30, 2024, when security agents attacked him, put a bag over his head, and whispered in his ear: "You talk too much."
On June 1, 2024, a court in Baku remanded him in custody, charging him with “conspiracy to smuggle foreign currency,” in connection with a case that Azerbaijani authorities had filed against the Abzas media outlet.
Shortly after his arrest, Abzas said in a statement that Mehralizada had no direct connection to the editorial staff and was one of many experts whose comments were published on their website.
Abzas's founder, Ulvi Hasanli, and its editor-in-chief, Sevinj Abbasova (Vagifqizi), were also sentenced to nine years in prison each on Friday.
Abza employee Mahammad Kekalov was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison, while Turan News Agency editor Hafiz Babali was sentenced to nine years in prison. Journalists Nargiz Absalamova and Elnara Gasimova were sentenced to eight years each as part of the same case.
During his trial, Mehralizada carefully presented the circumstances of the arrest as evidence that the case was politically motivated and in response to his “critical opinions on the social and economic policies implemented in Azerbaijan.”
"Farid has already lost a lot," REL President and CEO Steve Capus said in a statement.
"He was unjustly detained for over a year, missed the moment his child was born, and now awaits unattainable justice. Denying this man basic rights is unnecessary cruelty. Instead of continuing this farce, it is time for Farid to be reunited with his family."
Mehralizadeh's work highlighted that his economic analyses often criticized Azerbaijan's dependence on oil and gas and questioned official statistics on unemployment and poverty.
He was initially charged with smuggling, but later other charges were added such as illegal enterprise, tax evasion, group smuggling, and document forgery.
He and his supporters have called these charges fabricated and further evidence that the case against him was politically motivated.
Since taking power after the death of his predecessor and father, Heydar Aliyev, in 2003, President Ilham Aliyev has faced accusations of suppressing dissent by arresting journalists, opposition figures and civil society activists.
This trend appears to have accelerated recently, as more than 30 journalists and human rights defenders have been arrested on similar charges that international institutions consider politically motivated.
However, Azerbaijani authorities have consistently denied these accounts. In the case of Mehralizada and others recently arrested, the government insists that their arrests are related to specific criminal offenses and not political vendettas.
"With almost 20 other journalists facing trial on similar charges, the international community must be clear that there can no longer be 'business as usual' with Azerbaijan if it continues to massively imprison members of the press," said Gulnoza Said, coordinator for the Europe and Central Asia program at the Committee to Protect Journalists, in a statement before the decision was announced./ REL (A2 Televizion)
A2 CNN Livestream
MUND TE LEXONI GJITHASHTU
