Media Rights Institute: Hashimli sentence - a blow to freedom of expression

Media Rights Institute (MRI) strongly condemned the May 15 verdict on the employee of the newspaper Bizim Yol and site supervisor of moderator.az, Parviz Hashimli, depriving him of liberty for 8 years.

The journalist was sentenced to prison on charges of smuggling and illegal arms trade.

MRI considers that Hashimli was prosecuted on trumped-up charges and the sentence him is one of the heaviest attacks on freedom of expression in Azerbaijan.

In the statement, MRI indicates that the verdict was "based on dubious charges not confirmed during the trial."

MRI also recalls complaints by the lawyers of Hashimli to judicial authorities that during the preliminary investigation the journalist was permanently beaten, tortured and exposed to inhuman treatment.

MRI notes that the main witnesses against Hashimli were persons cooperating with the investigating authority. On the other hand the court did not provide participation of other important witnesses for a fair trial. The court rejected other defense motions associated with other important circumstances. In such circumstances the sentence was imposed on the basis of unfair and biased judicial inquiry that may have only one goal - to intimidate critically thinking citizens and journalists, to keep them from the investigation of socially significant issues and activities of important political figures and government officials and deprive the society of the right to receive truthful information, the statement further said.

MRI called for the soonest abolition of the unjust sentence of the Baku Court of Grave Crimes and for the release of the journalist. -06D-