The court remanded the editor-in-chief of Hurriyyet TV in custody.

The defense's motion to transfer Vugar Mammadov, editor-in-chief of the Hürriyet newspaper, the Hurriyyet.az website, and the Hurriyyet TV project, was dismissed despite a sharp deterioration in his health during the court hearing.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on October 29, the State Security Service of Azerbaijan conducted searches in the editorial offices of the Hürriyet newspaper, the Hurriyyet.az website, and Hurriyyet TV. On October 30, it was reported that the newspaper's editor-in-chief, Vugar Mammadov, nephew of the chairman of the Democratic Party of Azerbaijan, Sardar Jalaloglu, had been detained. On October 31, the Sabail District Court of Baku ordered Vugar Mamedov to be remanded in custody on charges of extortion by threats. Mamedov was sentenced to three months and 13 days in custody. The Hürriyyet staff considers the court's decision "ordered and completely unfounded."

The Sabail District Court of Baku held a hearing on a petition to change the preventive measure against Mammadov and release him to house arrest, lawyer Agil Laij told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

"Considering Vugar Mammadov's advanced age, his health, and the non-serious nature of the crime charged against him, we asked the court to change the preventive measure to house arrest. We particularly emphasized that Mammadov suffers from heart disease, and a few days ago, a doctor who examined him recommended that my client undergo surgery," he said. Laidzh.

According to him, Mamedov's health worsened during the court hearing.

"During the trial, Vugar Mamedov became ill, his blood pressure dropped sharply, and he began vomiting. Nevertheless, the court denied our motion," Laidzh continued.

He emphasized that the defense will appeal the court's decision.

The lawyer also emphasized that Mamedov denies the charges against him. The defense attorney declined to comment on the merits of the case, citing confidentiality obligations regarding the investigation.

An employee of the Sabail District Court confirmed the outcome of the review of Mamedov's defense motion.

Representatives of the investigative body were unavailable for comment.

Earlier, the Hürriyyet team denied claims by some local media outlets that

Vugar Mammadov is the "man" of former head of the presidential administration Ramiz Mehdiyev. "We categorically object to the fact that some publications are linking Mammadov's detention to the 'Ramiz Mehdiyev case,' and we declare that these arguments are completely biased. This is not the only reason why some government agencies warned Vugar Mammadov several months ago of his arrest if he did not cease his activities," the publication Hürriyyet noted.

Source: https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/416799

© Caucasian KnotFormer President of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan

Previously, Caucasian Knot reported that former President of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan Ramiz Mehdiyev was accused of treason. The court ordered house arrest for four months.

Source: https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/416799

© Caucasian Knot

Mamedov has been arrested before: on July 24, 2023, he and retired Colonel Elnur Mamedov were sentenced to one month of administrative arrest for disseminating prohibited information. Earlier, in 2005, V. Mamedov was sentenced to a two-year suspended sentence for publishing an illegal football betting site in a newspaper.

Author: Faik Majid, source, correspondent for the "Caucasian Knot"