Journalist Elchin Hasanov’s Trial Postponed

The next meeting of Nizami District Court on the case of the journalist Elchin Hasanov accused of hooliganism did not take place because the public prosecutor did not arrive. The defendant was supposed to make a closing statement. The judge postponed the meeting until 11.45 on June 1.

At the meeting on May 13 the prosecutor asked to sentence Hasanov to 3.5 years in prison. On May 18 the lawyer Fariz Namazly in his concluding remarks called on the court to stop the prosecution of Hasanov and acquit him.

The criminal case is related to an incident a year ago, when Hasanov was attacked by the former head of the agency Asiya Jafar Jafarov. The latter is now on trial on charges of extortion. After the incident, Hasanov appealed to the police and after some time Jafarov was arrested by the General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime - not on the complaint from Hasanov, but in connection with the facts of extortion.

However, in March this year against the very Hasanov a criminal case was filed under article 221.1 (hooliganism) of the Criminal Code. After Hasanov informed the press about it, the charge of hooliganism was changed to a heavier article 221.3 (hooliganism with the use of bladed weapons).

Hasanov said he is being persecuted for his journalistic and opposition activities. He is the deputy editor of the Sumgait Internet newspaper Yukselish Namine (yukselis.info). https://www.facebook.com/Elcin.Hasanov?fref=ts.n

In addition, he is a member of the Supreme Majlis of PFPA and deputy head of the NGO Legal Education of Sumgait Youth. The start of the criminal case against Hasanov coincided with his publications on the topic of corruption and embezzlement in the army. -06B-