Azerbaijani Journalist Teymur Karimov Gets Sentence Reduced

Teymur Karimov

The Supreme Court in Azerbaijan cut the prison sentence of Teymur Karimov, who heads Kanal 11 internet TV. On December 24, Judge Ilgar Jafarov oversaw a court hearing that resulted in Karimov’s sentence being reduced by two years.

This decision follows several appeals by the journalist. The Baku Grave Crimes Court gave Karimov eight years in prison on December 28, 2023, and banned him from journalism for two years after his release. Earlier this year, on May 15, the Baku Court of Appeal had already reduced his sentence by one year.

Karimov and reporter Istak Totiyeva were found guilty of extortion. Totiyeva received a suspended sentence with two years of probation, but Karimov stayed in jail. Prosecutors said they demanded about $5,800 to remove certain content from their website and accepted about $600.

Karimov says he is innocent and that the charges are made up. He believes he was arrested because of his reporting on protests, human rights issues, and police mistreatment of war veterans. During his trial, he claimed he was tortured and threatened while in custody, but the Ministry of Internal Affairs denied these claims.

Karimov’s case is part of a trend in Azerbaijan. Since November 2023, over 30 journalists and activists have been arrested on charges from smuggling to extortion. Human rights groups say there are about 400 political prisoners, but officials claim no one is prosecuted for their work or views.

Azerbaijan is currently implementing an Amnesty Act that is expected to affect about 5,000 people. So far, about 20 people identified as political prisoners, mostly religious activists held on drug charges, have been released. It remains to be seen if this will include more members of the media.