As per the press release from the Prosecutor General’s Office of Azerbaijan, Vugar Mammadov, the editor-in-chief of “Hüriyyət” newspaper, and Elnur Mammadov, a retired Colonel and former serviceman of the Ministry of Defense, have been administratively arrested for a duration of one month. The arrests are based on an investigation conducted by the Department of Non-Criminal Proceedings into the dissemination of information on the internet that is prohibited by the law “On Information, Informatization, and Information Protection.”
The court, after reviewing the investigation’s findings, found both individuals guilty under article 388-1.1.1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of Azerbaijan, which pertains to posting prohibited information on information resources or in information and telecommunications networks, or failing to suppress such dissemination. As stated by the Prosecutor General’s Office, the press release did not specify the exact content on the internet that led to these arrests.
The website of “Hüriyyət” newspaper has pointed out the perceived unjustifiability of the punishment meted out to Vugar and Elnur Mammadov. Furthermore, the court trial’s location and time were not disclosed, and the news of their arrest was reported only after the fact.
According to a source in the expert community, the reason behind the punishment appears to be an interview between Vugar Mammadov and Elnur Mammadov on “Hüriyyət TV,” a YouTube channel, during which they heavily criticized Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov and predicted restrictions on his powers and his imminent resignation from the military department.
Elnur Mammadov has a history of being outspoken in his criticism of the Ministry of Defense’s leadership, which led to a previous six-month prison sentence on June 6, 2022. That case was initiated following a private accusation filed by the head of the Legal Department of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, in response to Elnur Mammadov’s strong criticism of the ministry’s leadership, including Elchin Khalilov, the head of the main department for work with personnel.