The journalistic organization called on the Azerbaijani authorities to release Polad Aslanov

Baku/13.06.23/Turan: The Committee of Independent Reporters (CIR) issued a statement on the case of journalist Polad Aslanov in connection with the execution of 4 years from the date of his arrest. "For 4 years now, journalist Polad Aslanov has been serving a heavy prison sentence in a politically motivated case," the statement said.

Founder and head of news sites www.xeberman.com and www.press-az.com was arrested on June 12, 2019 and subsequently sentenced to 16 years in prison on charges of high treason. Aslanov pleaded not guilty and linked the arrest to his professional activities.

The CIR indicates that the journalist criticized the extortion of bribes by the security forces from travel agencies organizing pilgrimages to Iran and Iraq. The arrest of the journalist was accompanied by psychological influence on him and his family members in order to force Aslanov to confess, the statement further says.

On February 24, 2022, the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan upheld the verdict, only reduced the journalist's sentence from 16 to 13 years in prison. "The Committee of Independent Reporters considers the arrest, the charges brought against Polad Aslanov and the sentence imposed on him to be biased and politically motivated," the statement continued.

The Committee condemns the arrests of journalists for their professional activities and regards this as a suppression of press freedom. The PRC called on the authorities to release Aslanov and other journalists arrested in connection with their professional activities. The Committee of Independent Reporters was established on May 3. 

The public association "Institute for the Protection of Rights and Freedoms", the head of which is the human rights defender Avtandil Mammadov, who is abroad. -06B-