BCA releases journalist Rauf Mirkadyrov (+video)

Today, the Baku Court of Appeal (BCA) has released Azerbaijani journalist Rauf Mirkadyrov from custody. The BCA has replaced the journalist's actual sentence to imprisonment with the suspended sentence with a probation period of 5 years.

The Caucasian Knot "has reported that on December 28, 2015, in Baku, the court found journalist Rauf Mirkadyrov guilty of treason and sentenced him to six years of imprisonment in a high-security penal colony. During the court session on the consideration of the appeal filed against the verdict in the case of treason held on March 16, Rauf Mirkadyrov pleaded not guilty.

Judge Abid Abdinbekov applied Article 70 of the Criminal Code, which allows replacing actual sentence to imprisonment with conditional term "in connection with extenuating circumstances."

Rauf Mirkadyrov was released in the courtroom. The court's decision was greeted with applause, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports. Unlike the trial, the pronouncement of the verdict was held at open doors.

After the journalist came out of the courtroom, he told the media that he was glad to be free again. However, he has also noted that he does not consider himself guilty. According to Rauf Mirkadyrov, he has not committed acts of treason, and he intends to achieve full acquittal.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.