Azerbaijani Court Jails Exiled Journalist and Ex-Rector

Ganimat Zahid

On December 23, the Baku Grave Crimes Court finished its cases against two well-known people living outside of Azerbaijan, sentencing them to prison even though they weren't there. Judge Fakhri Mammadov oversaw the cases of Ganimat Zahid, who runs the Azadliq newspaper, and Elshad Abdullayev, the former head of Azerbaijan International University.

Ganimat Zahid Gets Prison Time for Social Media Posts

Ganimat Zahid, a journalist living in France, was given seven years in prison. The court said he broke Article 281.2 of the Criminal Code, which is about publicly speaking out against the government, mostly if it's done more than once or by a group.

The case against Zahid was about what he put on his YouTube channel in July 2018. The government said he was openly asking people to use force against Azerbaijan's legal government. Zahid has always said he didn't do anything wrong. He said on social media that the court case is because of his work as a journalist, not because he did anything criminal. He was first ordered to be arrested in May.

Big Penalties for Former University Head

In a different decision, but at the same court, Elshad Abdullayev got a much longer sentence. The former head of the university was sentenced to 15 years in prison for many serious crimes.

Abdullayev was found guilty of breaking several parts of the Criminal Code, including avoiding paying a lot of taxes, misusing his power, and taking bribes many times. The court said he was part of an organized group that illegally traded, gave, and transplanted human organs and tissues.

What the Decisions Mean

These decisions show that the Azerbaijani government continues to use trials where the person isn't there to target important critics who live in other countries. Even though these men are not in Azerbaijan, these sentences are a legal issue and show how the government feels about disagreement and past claims of corruption and illegal actions.