The Court of Appeal upheld the ban on the departure of a journalist from the country

Baku /27.09.18/Turan: The Baku Court of Appeal upheld the decision to ban the investigative journalist Shahvalad Ciobanoglu from leaving the country. The ban was introduced as early as 2014. On August 14 of this year, the journalist tried to leave the country, but the border guards did not release him. He complained to the court. However, on 11 September, the Nasimi court of Baku found the ban legal.

Today, in the appellate court, Cobanoglu's lawyers pointed to the lack of a legal basis for restricting the freedom of movement of a journalist. They drew attention to the fact that the journalist was repeatedly summoned to the prosecutor's office to give evidence as a witness. Legislation does not provide for restricting freedom of movement for persons in the status of witnesses. However, the panel of judges, chaired by Hasan Akhmedov, dismissed the complaint. The journalist does not agree with this decision and intends to bring the case to the Strasbourg court in the future. In recent years, Cobanoglu has repeatedly been interrogated by the prosecutor's office for the affairs of the newspaper Azadlyg, Radio Azadlig, journalist Afgan Mukhtarly. Since 2013, more than 10 journalists of the country have been banned from Azerbaijan. Nine journalists have already appealed to the European Court of Human Rights. Since 2017, communication with the government of Azerbaijan has started on these issues. -06D-