13:15, 29 June 2017

Court leaves journalist Aziz Orudjev in custody

In Baku, the court of appeal has recognized as legitimate the court's refusal to release from detention Aziz Orudjev, the executive director of the "Kanal-13" online TV Channel.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Aziz Orudjev is accused of illegal entrepreneurship and abuse of official power. The journalist faces up to seven years of imprisonment. On June 1, the court decided to arrest Aziz Orudjev for four months.

Aziz Orudjev became the fourth journalist prosecuted in Azerbaijan during the past four months. According to Azerbaijani activists, the online TV Channel, giving the floor to human rights defenders and oppositionists, faces a threat of stopping its activities.

Javad Javadov, an advocate of the journalist, has explained that the defence requested to transfer Aziz Orudjev under house arrest or to release him on bail "at least for humanitarian reasons, because of problems with his health."

"The charges filed against Aziz Orudjev have no actual and legal basis. The incriminated acts are wrongly qualified as criminal. On the other hand, he is not involved in all those acts, since he was not an official in those grant projects," Javad Javadov added.

Aziz Orudjev is being prosecuted for political reasons, believes Avaz Zeinalov, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Khural" and a member of the Centre for the Protection of Political Prisoners.

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

Author: Faik Medzhid

Source: CK correspondent