Court Arrests Journalist for Four Months

Baku / 14.06.19 / Turan: On June 14, the Sabail District Court of Baku chose a measure of restraint of four-month arrest for Polad Israil Oglu Aslanov, the founder and editor of the xeberman.com and press-az.com information websites. He is charged under Art. 274 (high treason) of the Criminal Code.

Aslanov pleaded not guilty and linked the arrest with his journalistic activities. The State Security Service of Azerbaijan reported on the detention of Aslanov on June 13. According to the information of this department, Aslanov, on the instructions of certain foreign special services, transmitted the information he collected, which was detrimental to the state security and defense capability of Azerbaijan.

According to the State Security Service, he agreed to publish in the press and social networks materials discrediting the Azerbaijani state and its law enforcement agencies. Aslanov also introduced journalists outside of Azerbaijan for their future cooperation with foreign intelligence services.

The names of those journalists and the country for which Aslanov worked are not revealed because of the investigation secrecy. During the investigation, Aslanov testified about the criminal actions committed by him. He is prosecuted under Art. 274 (high treason) of the Criminal Code. The investigative and operational activities are continuing, the report said.

The journalist's wife Gulmira Aslanova reported in social networks that Aslanov was detained on June 12 at the border checkpoint in Bilasuvar. According to her, their family was traveling through Iran to Nakhchivan for a wedding party of their relatives. She claimed the innocence of her husband. -21C--