Azerbaijan's Highest Court Confirms Jail Term for Kanal 13 Director

Aziz Orucov

The top court in Azerbaijan has confirmed the sentence for Aziz Orucov, who leads the online TV station Kanal 13. On November 13, Judge Ilkin Rajabov led a session where the court turned down an appeal from Orucov's lawyers. This keeps the original court decision in place, coming just before Orucov finishes his two-year sentence.

Orucov was first arrested on November 27, 2023, accused of building illegally on some property (Article 188.2). He was also accused of smuggling (Article 206.3.2), but that charge was later dropped. On February 26, 2024, the Sabail District Court, with Judge Gunel Samadova presiding, gave him a two-year jail term for the illegal building charge.

Orucov says he's not guilty and believes he's in jail because his journalism has been critical of the government. He asked to be let out of jail early on September 25, but the Surakhani District Court said no. The prison even said he was a good candidate for release, and he needs ongoing treatment for a nerve issue. However, the Ministry of Justice was against his release, and the court listened to them.

Orucov's situation is part of a bigger pattern of the government cracking down on independent news sources in Azerbaijan. Since November 2023, around 30 people who work for news outlets like AbzasMedia, Kanal 13, and ToplumTV have been arrested, mostly on charges of smuggling. Human rights groups say there are over 390 political prisoners in the country, but the government disagrees, saying everyone was arrested for actual crimes.