Azerbaijani Journalist Receives a Harsh Prison Sentence
Published: Jan 17, 2025 Reading time: 1 minute Share: Share an articleOn 13 January, the Baku Court for Serious Crimes sentenced public activist Bakhtiyar Hajiyev to 10 years of imprisonment. He was found guilty on bogus charges of multiple economic crimes and hooliganism. The court also ruled to confiscate his flat and money in his bank accounts and ban him from educational work for 1 year after his release.
Hajiyev called the verdict politically motivated, describing these accusations as “entirely fabricated.” He believes He pointed out that his arrest came immediately after targeted sanctions were imposed on an official from the Main Organized Crime Department of Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs. Bakhtiyar Hajiyev and his colleagues consider the verdict politically motivated, claiming that the true reason for arrest was Hajiyev’s active efforts to impose sanctions on human rights violators in Azerbaijan and his harsh criticism of Azerbaijani Interior Ministry activities.
Attacks on the public sector in Azerbaijan are on the rise, with media being one of the primary targets. Within the last 12 months, dozens of journalists and other individuals affiliated with Abzas Media, Toplum TV, Kanal 13 and Meydan TV, the last remaining independent outlets in Azerbaijan, are either behind bars or otherwise implicated in baseless criminal prosecutions.
People in Need has been assisting human rights defenders and strengthening the public sector since 1990´. Besides direct aid, it raises awareness about human rights violations in more than 25 countreis and regions. In 2024, the collective of Abzas Media reporters was awarded People in Needs´ human rights award Homo Homini.
