Recall that, on 4 May 2007 the Sabail District Court found both Rafig Tagi and Samir Sadagatoglu guilty of inciting religious hatred through publication of the article “Europe and Us” in “Senet’ Newspaper. Sadagetoglu was sentenced to four years of imprisonment, which Tagi received three years, however both were released on 28 December 2008 through a decree on pardon signed by the president.
In addition to this “Mukhalifet” Newspaper staff member Yashar Agazade told the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety that on 8 January the Supreme Court upheld the decision that resulted in the arrest of him and his chief editor, Rovshan Kebirli. This case will now be sent to the European Court of Human Rights. Both Kebirli and Agazade were imprisoned for 2.5 years on 16 May 2007, and then released through the 28 December 2008 presidential decree on pardon.