“TOLISHI SADO” NEWSPAPER’S EDITOR-IN-CHIEF RELEASED FROM PUNISHMENT CELL

Yesterday, 21 January, Azerbaijan Committee Against Torture Chairman Elchin Behbudov visited the imprisoned "Tolishi Sado" (Voice of the Talish) Newspaper Editor-in-Chief Novruzali Mammadov in Prison #15. The Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety was told this by Elchin Behbudov.

“On 15 January I was told by prison staff that “Tolishi Sado" Newspaper Editor-in-Chief Novruzali Mammadov was sentenced to 15 days in the punishment cell for acting rude towards a supervisor,” said Behbudov.
 
According to Elchin Behbudov, he achieved the early release of the editor-in-chief (on 21 January) from the punishment cell. Behbudov noted that Mammadov has health problems also.

N. Mammadov's defense lawyer Hilal Mammadov claims that the reason indicated for sending Mammadov to the punishment cell is a simple excuse. “I was told by prison #15 that N. Mammadov refused to wear his prison uniform and they had a disagreement about this,” said Hilal Mammadov. “This is an excuse. The aim of sending 67-year-old editor-in-chief to the punishment cell was to morally suppress him. I learned that people who are accused under article 274 (being a traitor) of the Criminal Code are often sentenced to the punishment cell to go through moral pressure. Placing an old and sick person to the punishment cell is unacceptable.”
 
Novruzali Mammadov was found guilty under article 274 (being a traitor) and was sentenced to ten year of imprisonment.