Who "ordered" Mohammed Mirzali?

Baku/17.06.22/Turan: On  June 14 in the morning, the French police detained two people near the town of Angers. The detainees are suspected of attempted murder of exiled blogger Mohammed Mirzali, reads the statement of the Reporters sans Frontières, an international human rights organization. The head of the organization's Eastern Europe and Central Asia department, Jeanne Cavelie, said that this is the third attempt to eliminate Mohammed Mirzali.

In March 2021, in the center of Nantes, a blogger was attacked and stabbed. Four people were convicted in connection with the incident at the end of April. And three of them were from Azerbaijan.

So, who and why "ordered" Mohammed Mirzali?

The blogger himself talks about this in the “Difficult Question” program.

In his opinion, the reason for the persecution by the authorities is criticism of the policies of the authorities, in particular, the 2018 protest campaigns in social networks called "Let's talk about a dictator." After that, Mirzali began to receive messages demanding to stop insulting the head of state and high-ranking officials.

“I did not agree, and then from February 2018, on WhatSapp, I began to receive messages from unknown persons containing death threats. The first attempt to liquidate me was made in August 2020. But then representatives of the Azerbaijani diaspora warned me about the danger that threatened me, and I turned to the police. The police managed to prevent the assassination. A criminal case was initiated against these people,” says Mirzali.

The second attempt to eliminate Mirzali also failed. Although the killer shot at him at close range, he failed to seriously injure the blogger.

On March 14, 2021, there was a third assassination attempt on Mirzali. Blogger Mohammed Mirzali was attacked by unknown persons, who stabbed him many times and fled, and  Mirzali was hospitalized in serious condition.

According to Mirzali, all actions against him are organized by the special services of Azerbaijan. Specifically, the head of the State Security Service Ali Nagiyev.

When asked why he insults the leaders of the state, using obscene language that offends human dignity, Mirzali said that he lives in France and the laws of this country allow self-expression in this way.

All criminal offenses committed on the Internet are, as a rule, offenses already punishable by the Criminal Code. Including slander and insults. Articles 222-33-2-21 of the Criminal Code apply to these acts in France. The law divides actions into public and non-public. If the  information is distributed in a group of friends – there is a certain  punishment (contravention),  and if it is  published for public viewing (délit) – there is another, more severe punishment.

By the law of August 4, 2014, the legislator further specified the crime associated with activity in networks: cyber-harcèlement. This term can be translated as "bullying and harassment in cyberspace." Examples of such criminal behavior can be insults on forums, in chats, in emails, sms, whatsup, also in games, spreading rumors, posting photos of a sexual or demeaning nature, creating fictitious profiles.

According to the law, the purpose of the aggressor is to humiliate and intimidate the victim. To achieve its goal, the cyber-aggressor uses various methods. Mirzali uses the following methods:

Flaming - insult through offensive comments, vulgar references and remarks.

Dénigration - denigrating and spreading rumors. Intentionally exposing the victim in a black light through the publication, photos or videos.

Cyber ​​bullying requires the repetition of facts. However, one time is enough to determine the offense of insult or slander in cyberspace.

According to  the Article 222-33-2-21 of the French Criminal Code, insulting/humiliating actions against the victim can come from both different users, and from one. The elements of the crime are defined, among other things, if "offensive words or behavior are imposed on the same person by several people in a concerted manner or by instigation of one of them, even if each of these people acted once." The law provides for punishment of up to a year in prison and a fine of 15,000 euros. The Article provides for a whole list of aggravating circumstances in which the maximum penalty is doubled.