Arrest of Journalists from Guba Prolonged

The Nasimi district court in Baku on September 8 extended the deadline of the arrest of the executive director of the Guba regional TV channel "Khayal TV" and the editor of this channel - Vugar Gonagov and Zaur Guliyev until Dec. 1. Turan was told by the journalist's lawyer Elchin Sadigov.

According to him, the same decision was taken against the head of the municipality of Guba Elkhan Aliyev.

Sadigov said the extension of his client's arrest was unjustified, because since the beginning of April (from the time of their transfer to the Baku prison), no investigation has been carried out.

The lawyer said that the decision of the Nasimi court will be appealed.

Recall that the journalists are accused of Article 233 (organization of actions to disrupt public order) and 309.2 (abuse of power).

In particular, they are charged with the distribution of a video of the speech of the executive head of Guba Rauf Khabibov, which offended the locals, on the Internet. These shots caused popular protest that ended in riots on March 1. On this day, several thousand people gathered in front of the district administration, demanding the resignation of Khabibov. The protesters smashed and torched the villa of the district head and the executive power office.

Twenty-five residents of Guba are involved in the criminal proceedings into the matter. -06B-