The term of arrest of Hafiz Babaly has also been extended for 3 months

Today, the Khatai District Court of Baku extended for three months the pre-trial detention of Hafiz Babaly, the editor of the economic department of the Turan agency, who was arrested in the case of “Abzas Media.”  The extension of the arrest is unjustified and there are no material and procedural grounds for Babaly's detention, his lawyer Rasul Jafarov told Turan.

The investigation has not provided evidence of Babaly's guilt, and the claims that while remaining at large, he can evade the investigation are subjective. "We have filed a counter-petition to transfer Babaly to house arrest, if the investigation needs time to continue the investigation. We asked to consider Babaly's health condition as well. He has only 30 percent vision in one eye, he is a third group  invalid; and the other eye doesn't see well either. However, the court did not satisfy our request and extended the period of arrest until June 13," the lawyer said.

Babaly himself denied the accusations of "smuggling", saying that he was being persecuted for investigative journalism.

* The editor of the "economic news" department of the Turan agency, Hafiz Babaly, was detained on December 13.  He was charged with "smuggling foreign currency." By a court decision, he was subjected to pre-trial detention for a period of three months. Babaly was involved in the "Abzas Media case". International organizations condemned Babaly's arrest and called for his release.