Journalist Parviz Hashimli, who is held in the custody of the Ministry of National Security, has faced a new charge, his lawyer Elchin Sadigov told the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS) today, on February 4.
The new charge came after the criminal offense, of which Hashimli is accused, was classified as complicity with another accused, Tavakkul Gurbanov.
According to the lawyer, in addition to the previously initiated charge under article 228.2.1 of the Criminal Code, now Hashimli is accused of one more count of the same article, 228.2.2 (illegal purchase, transfer, selling, storage, transportation or carrying of fire-arms, accessories to it, supplies and explosives, committed repeatedly) which carries from three up to five years of imprisonment.
Background: Bizim Yol newspaper journalist and moderator.az editor-in-chief Parviz Hashimli was detained on September 17 by employees of the Ministry of National Security. On September 18 the journalist was handed down a two-month pretrial detention sentence by the Sabail District Court under two articles of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code: Article 206.3.2 (smuggling of firearms on preliminary arrangement by an organized group) and 228.2.1 (illegal obtaining, storing, carrying firearms and their spare parts on preliminary arrangement by an organized group). His detention term was extended for another three months on November 7.