07 August 2019, 11:09
Baku court leaves journalist Aslanov in custody
The Baku Court of Appeal (BCA) has dismissed the complaint lodged by journalist Polad Aslanov about the refusal to transfer him under house arrest.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Polad Aslanov, the editor-in-chief of the online editions "Xeberman.com" and "Press-az.com", was detained on June 12, 2019, on suspicion of espionage. His advocate, Elchin Sadygov, said that he had received threats; and Polad's wife, Gyulmira Aslanova, said that at the SIZO (pre-trial prison), her husband's health had deteriorated sharply.
According to the Azerbaijani State Security Service (SSS), Polad Aslanov "had meetings with foreign intelligence services outside the country and was involved in secret cooperation with them on condition of regular cash payments." However, his wife associates his detention with his professional activities.
On August 6, the BCA, having considered Polad Aslanov's complaint about the refusal to transfer him under house arrest, dismissed it, Gyulmira Aslanova told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.
"My husband was engaged in journalism, and he was arrested for this activity ... Polad is being persecuted in revenge for his publications on corruption, bribery, suppression of human rights and torture of prisoners," Ms Aslanova believes.
She has added that she could see her husband on the 45th day of his arrest.
It should be noted here that on July 10, the Union "For Freedom of Political Prisoners of Azerbaijan" released the updated list of political prisoners, with Polad Aslanov in it.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on August 7, 2019 at 02:19 am MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Author: Faik Medjid Source: CK correspondent
