Journalist accused of blackmailing an official demands acquittal from the Supreme Court of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Journalist, founder of Azadinfo.az LLC Mahir Alekberov (Khattab), who was arrested on charges of blackmail and extortion, filed a cassation appeal to the Supreme Court of the Republic of Azerbaijan with a demand for acquittal, oxu.az reports.

According to the information of the General Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Azerbaijan, on September 8, 2021, the head of the above website announced the acting. Ramiz Geyushov, chairman of the Binagadi regional organization of the New Azerbaijan Party, that unethical video footage with the participation of the latter would be distributed on news platforms, and offered to meet. Since R. Geyushov did not appear at the meeting, M. Alekberov on the same day deliberately published a video with disgraceful and degrading information on his website.

M. Alekberov managed to get a meeting with R. Geyushov to prevent the dissemination of this information, but he was caught red-handed while receiving money in the amount of 2,000 manats in order to remove the video from his website.

On September 10, M. Alekberov was charged under article 182.1 (extortion) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The Baku Grave Crimes Court sentenced him to 3 years and 6 months in prison.

The journalist appealed the verdict to the Baku Court of Appeal, but the latter upheld the verdict of the court of first instance.

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