Prosecutor seeks seven-year jail term for Azerbaijani reporter
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 16 December 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Prosecutor seeks seven-year jail term for Azerbaijani reporter, 16 December 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/56c4282118.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
December 16, 2015
By RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service
BAKU – A prosecutor has asked an Azerbaijani court to sentence journalist Rauf Mirqadirov to seven years in jail in an espionage case.
The trial – which is being held behind closed doors – was adjourned on December 16 for one week.
Mirqadirov, a commentator for the independent Russian-language daily Zerkalo, was arrested in April last year after he was deported from Turkey, where he had lived with his family for three years.
He has been charged with espionage for allegedly providing Azerbaijani state secrets to Armenian security services.
Mirqadirov has rejected the charges and called them retaliation by Baku for his critical reporting of the Azerbaijani government.
The Committee to Protect Journalists has condemned Mirqadirov's arrest, calling it politically motivated.
The U.S. State Department also expressed concern over the situation faced by Mirqadirov after his arrest.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website