On 12 January, Jalilabad Regional Court chaired by Judge Miralam Guliyev concluded the trial of journalist Afgan Sadigov. Sadigov is the founder and chief editor of Azel.tv news. He was detained on 22 November 2016 for allegedly attacking a woman. He and his lawyer say the charges are completely fabricated.
During his final speech in court, the reporter said ‘I am sorry that I didn’t start fighting sooner or criticise the guilty officials more often’.
The court sentenced him to 2 and a half years in prison.
After the hearing, lawyer Elchin Sadigov said the charges were never clearly proven during the proceedings. He noted that the charges brought against the journalist were totally baseless and bogus.
According to the lawyer, the journalist had at for his critical articles about the mayor of Jalilabad. “Afgan Sadigov’s arrest is associated with his reporting and criticism of executive authorities,” Sadigov said.
The lawyer stressed that the judgment was unlawful and would be appealed.
Let us not forget that the attorney’s original motion to obtain the footage from the security cameras in the executive building, where the incident took place, had been rejected by the court.