Baku Appeals Court rejected Yeni Musavat newspaper journalist Tofig Yagublu’s request for release under house arrest, journalist’s lawyer Akif Alizadeh told the Institute for Reporters Freedom and Safety (IRFS) today (on March15). “Tofig Yagublu’s appeal was considered on March 14 and the court of appeals upheld the original ruling of Nasimi District Court issued on March 5. We will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights against this decision” said the lawyer.
Note that Tofig Yagublu had filed a petition with the Nasimi District Court with a request to replace his pretrial detention sentence with house arrest, which was not granted by the court.
Background: Tofig Yagublu was arrested on 4 February 2013, for calling on residents of Ismayilli region to resist the police and block the roads, during his visit to the region on January 24. He was eventually sentenced to two months of pretrial detention on charges of organizing public disorder (Article 233/Criminal Code) and resisting the representative of authorities or using violence against them (Article 315/Criminal Code). Yagublu’s appeal against the original decision was denied by the Baku Appeals Court on February 8.