The Khatai district court of Baku today extended for another three months the arrest term of investigative journalist Hafiz Babaly, arrested in the “Abzas Media case”. His lawyer Rasul Jafarov informed Turan about it.
According to him, the defense considers the journalist’s detention unjustified. An appeal will be filed against the court’s decision.
Babaly rejected the charges against him and said he was being persecuted for investigative journalism.
Today the pre-trial detention of “Abzas Media” director Ulvi Hasanli, who also denies the charges against him, was extended by three months.
Babaly and Hasanly are among six journalists and media workers who were arrested between November 2023 and January 2024 ‘in the “Abzas Media case”. Subsequently, economist Farid Mehralizadeh was also arrested in the case.
Initially, all of them were charged under Article 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code (smuggling by a group of persons by prior conspiracy). However, on 16-19 August, the journalists were charged with more serious charges: Articles 192.3.2 (illegal entrepreneurship with significant income), 193-1.3.1 and 193-1.3.2 (legalization of criminal proceeds by an organised group), 206.4 (smuggling by an organised group), 320.1 and 320.2 (forgery of documents and use of forged documents), as well as Article 213.2.1 (group tax evasion) of the Criminal Code.
These charges are punishable by up to 12 years’ imprisonment. The journalists deny all charges as saying that they are being persecuted for investigating corruption in the highest echelons of power.