RFE/RL Condemns Sham Trial of Azerbaijani Journalist
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) rejects the spurious charges facing Farid Mehralizada and calls on the Azerbaijani government to release him immediately.
WASHINGTON, D.C.— As the trial of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) journalist Farid Mehralizada began today in Baku, Azerbaijan, RFE/RL rejects the spurious charges and calls on the Azerbaijani government to release him immediately.
RFE/RL President & CEO Stephen Capus said:
“The charges against Farid are baseless. Farid is being punished for reporting uncomfortable truths about Azerbaijan’s economy. Azerbaijan must end this sham trial and release Farid to his wife and newborn daughter.”
Independent media covering the trial were not allowed in the courtroom during the hearing. Several of the journalists on trial, including Farid, criticized the panel of judges overseeing the proceedings, arguing they had a history of “issuing false verdicts against innocent people.”
RFE/RL is grateful to the American, British, French, and German diplomats who attended the hearing as observers.
On May 30, 2024, Farid was violently abducted by unidentified men and taken to a Baku police station. He was placed in pre-trial detention in connection with a case Azerbaijani authorities brought against the independent media outlet Abzas Media, for which Farid never worked. On August 19, 2024, authorities invented new charges against him. If convicted, Farid faces up to 12 years in prison.
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About RFE/RL
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is a private, independent international news organization whose programs — radio, Internet, television, and mobile — reach influential audiences in 23 countries, including Russia, Ukraine, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the republics of Central Asia and the Caucasus. It is funded by the U.S. Congress through USAGM.