Blogger Lapshin May Face Up to 6.5 Years in Prison

Konstantin Adamov News, Re-Post

The trial of travel blogger Alexander Lapshin continued yesterday in Baku’s Court of Grave Crimes.

At the trial the prosecutor claimed that the guilt of the defendant had been fully proved. According to the prosecutor, Lapshin himself had acknowledged that he had illegally crossed the state border of Azerbaijan, however he did not admit to acting in cohort with a criminal group – that is, the five individuals with whom he crossed into Nagorno-Karabakh.

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EU Parliament Representative Investigating Mukhtarli Case in Tbilisi

Konstantin Adamov News

To study the details of the kidnapping of Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Mukhtarli, Vice-President of the ALDE faction (European Liberal and Democrat Union) Henrik Mortensen has arrived in Tbilisi.

He met with representatives of Georgian parties – “Free Democrats”, and later with the “Republicans”.

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High Precision Weapon at the Border: Baku’s Opinion Not Considered

Konstantin Adamov News, Re-Post

The Armenian media are discussing the story of Vahan Martirosyan who had sought for asylum in Baku last December and became the co-founder of the so-called peace platform. He was followed by several others who also moved to Baku. Recently Vahan Martirosyan who has been living in Ukraine for a while now has written a letter regretting what he had done, and the social network users suggest that he allegedly performed the task assigned by the Armenian special services.

In brief, they “flushed” the platform, as they say in the criminal and state circles.

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Missing Journalist Sparks Protests, Conflicting Stories

Konstantin Adamov News, Re-Post

Authorities in Azerbaijan and Georgia are facing mounting criticism for their possible role in the apparent kidnapping of Afgan Mukhtarli, the Azerbaijani journalist who disappeared from Tbilisi on May 29 and was next seen two days later being led into a Baku courtroom.

Mukhtarli has been charged with illegal border crossing, disorderly conduct, and currency violations. Police claim he did not have his passport when he was arrested and that he was carrying an undeclared €10,000 (about US$ 11,200). The court sentenced him to 90 days’ pre-trial detention.

Leyla Mustafayeva, Mukhtarli’s wife, told police that her husband had called to tell her he was on his way home after meeting with friends when he disappeared. She said he had no passport and no more than a few Georgian lari (about US$ 2) on him at the time.

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Yunusov Family Safe From Interpol Extradition to Azerbaijan

Konstantin News

As  Meydan.tv reports : Yunusov Family Safe From Interpol Extradition to Azerbaijan

Interpol will not arrest and deport Leyla Yunusova and her husband, Arif Yunusov, to Azerbaijan, Yunusov wrote on his Facebook page.

“The Azerbaijani authorities’ request for our arrest and forced deportation will be rejected. Thus, the question of our compulsory return with the help of Interpol is closed. But we are not going to finish our fight with this”, the Facebook statement reads.

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Contradictory Statements Surrounding Kidnapped Journalist Mukhtarli

Konstantin Adamov News

Deputy of the Milli Majlis (National Parliament) from the ruling New Azerbaijan Party and member of the human rights committee Elnam Nasirov in an interview with Radio Azadliq said that the detention of journalist Afgan Mukhtarli was the result of a joint Georgian-Azerbaijani successful special operation.

In response, the Georgian side categorically refuted these allegations in a public statement.

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ECHR Begins Investigation into Death of Writer Rafiq Tagi

Konstantin Adamov News, Re-Post

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has begun an investigation into the case of the death of writer-publicist Rafiq Taghiyev.

The complaint was forwarded to the ECHR by the deceased’s wife, Maya Tagiyeva. The application raises questions about violations of rights under Articles 2 (the right to life, in particular, state measures to protect these rights), 10 (freedom of expression) and 13 (the right to effective remedies) of the European Convention.

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Reporters Without Borders, Council of Europe on Mukhtarli’s Arrest

Konstantin Adamov News

Reporters Without Borders and the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe have issued a statement in connection with the abduction of Azerbaijani journalist Afgan Mukhtarli in Tbilisi.

“The Georgian authorities must immediately explain what happened to Afghan Mukhtarli, and provide security guarantees to other Azerbaijani dissidents based in Georgia,” the organization said.

“It does not matter who abducted Mukhtarli – the Azerbaijani operatives or the Georgian security forces: it is a very serious incident that will not be left without consequences. We demand the immediate release of Afgan Mukhtarli, who was tortured and ill-treated. The use of fabricated accusations against independent journalists is standard practice in Azerbaijan, the ruling regime once again has showed that it can create problems outside the country, and it’s time to answer for all these actions”, the statement says.

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