Ali Hasanov Justifies Blogger’s Arrest

The Presidential Aide on Social and Political Issues Ali Hasanov considers lawful the arrest of the well-known blogger, Director of the Institute for Reporters Freedom and Safety (IRFS) Mehman Huseynov.

“Mehman Huseynov was arrested on the basis of specific charges and the trial proved the crime in his actions,” Hasanov said, commenting on criticism of the blogger’s prosecution by international organizations.

At the same time, Hasanov noted the presence of Huseynov's right to appeal the verdict. However, he continued, politicization of his arrest and linking the case to the blogger’s professional activities is unacceptable.

“I believe this issue is artificially inflated by internal and foreign groups and organizations under their influence. I want to say that Azerbaijan is a legal state, in which courts are independent and their decisions cannot be influenced by the political pressure,” Hasanov said.

Earlier, the same Ali Hasanov also persistently denied political motivation in the pursuit of many journalists and activists who were then prematurely released by the government under international pressure. Many of the convicted managed to have the violation of their rights recognized by the European Court of Human Rights. -16D-