The court in Azerbaijan has sentenced journalist Shamoy Eminov to three months in detention for his collaboration with independent media Kanal 13, which has reported on the activities of the Azerbaijani service of Radio Azadliq / Radio Liberty. He was arrested in November-December of this year in Azerbaijan, becoming the fourth imprisoned employee of Kanal 13 media outlets.

His wife, Durdana, has told the radio station that on December 22, the journalist left home for an interview and has not returned since. On the same day, her phone was disconnected and it was announced that Eminov was being held in custody.

“On returning home, in order to get an interview, he saw that the apartment was searched and his laptop was missing. It is clear that an investigation has been carried out,” said Durdana Eminova.

Five days ago, Shamoy Eminov contacted his wife and said that he had been arrested in connection with the criminal case on smuggling.

Eminov is the fourth employee of Kanal 13, whose detention was extended by the authorities of Azerbaijan. One of the heads of the TV channel, Aziz Orujov, was arrested on November 28 on charges of embezzlement when building a residential building. On December 19, he was accused of smuggling.

On December 2, another employee of the TV channel, Roofat Muradli, was detained by law enforcement officers. He was given a preventive measure for 30 days on charges of organizing riots and resistance to police officers.

Another director of Kanal 13, Teimur Kerimov, was detained on December 12. He was charged with “illegal cutting of trees and sending security forces.” The court decided in favor of his imprisonment for four months.

The offices of imprisoned journalists have received numerous messages of support from various international organizations. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has called on the Council of Europe “to remind the authorities of Azerbaijan of their obligations and to demand that all journalists be released.” According to RSF, in Azerbaijan, the remaining imprisoned journalists are part of a “quartet of independent journalists.”

Amnesty International has also referred to your detentions as targeted attacks on journalists. “Currently, we are concerned about the obvious ongoing wave of arrests against the remaining detainees in connection with the ZLM,” said Natalya Nozdzhan, an investigator with Amnesty International’s Eastern Europe Office.

News from Armenia – NEWS.am