On September 11, the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan will hear an appeal from Avaz Zeynally, the convicted editor of "Khural" newspaper. Zeynally was arrested in October, 2011 as a result of a complaint lodged by ex-MP Guler Ahmadova, who is herself under arrest for fraud. During the trial, allegations were not substantiated and almost all of the defense's arguments were rejected.
On March 12, Baku Court of Serious Crimes found Zeynally guilty under the following Articles of the Criminal Code - 311.3.3 (bribery on a large scale), 311.4 (extortion by threats), 306 (non-enforcement of the judgment), and 213.1 (evasion of taxes in a significant amount) and sentenced him to nine years in prison. On May 13, Baku Appeals Court upheld the verdict.
Zeynally states that his arrest is a political order, and his freedom of speech has been compromised. Human rights activists consider Zeynally to be a political prisoner.—05D06-
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The closure of Azerbaijan's land borders was discussed during the parliamentary session on November 25. While the government’s decision cites the coronavirus pandemic as the main reason—despite the World Health Organization declaring its end last year—Zahid Oruj, Chair of the Human Rights Committee in the Milli Majlis, pointed to other factors. He stated, "Opening the borders could result in an influx of hundreds of thousands of non-Azerbaijani refugees due to the Russia-Ukraine war. Additionally, in Iran, many are prepared to cross into Azerbaijan to safeguard their lives and assets amid military strikes. Such waves of refugees could lead to humanitarian, social, and cultural clashes that may threaten political stability."
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On Tuesday, the General Prosecutor's Office announced the initiation of new criminal cases against agricultural product exporters who allegedly concealed their earnings abroad. Specifically, the Sumgayit City Prosecutor's Office has opened a criminal case under Articles 208.2.1 and 208.2.2 (failure to return foreign currency to the country in large amounts by prior agreement of a group of individuals) and Article 308.2 (abuse of office causing serious consequences) against officials of the company "SOİL BOONS" LLC – Jahangir Aliyev, Elyar Gadzhiev, Mehman Mirzamedev, Saleh Gabilov, and Aly Aliyev.
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Rains will continue in Baku and Absheron on 27 November, forecasters said. In places, precipitation will be intense with thunderstorms. Moderate north-west wind.
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On Tuesday, rainy weather with thunderstorms and moderate northwest wind is expected in the Baku, according to meteorologists. The rainy weather will continue untill Wednesday evening. The air temperature at night will be +7 to +10°C, and during the day, +11 to +13°C. The humidity will be 80-90% at night and 70-80% during the day. Rain with thunderstorms will also affect other parts of the country. Snow is expected in mountainous areas. There will be fog in places, with westerly winds.
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