Jamil Mammadli – journalist and blogger Date of arrest: 24 August 2023 Charge: Articles 178.2.4 (Swindle, that is maintaining another persons property or buying another persons property by a deceit or breach of confidence, committed with causing damage in the significant size), 182.2.1 (Extortion committed on preliminary arrangement by group of persons), 182.2.2 (Extortion committed repeatedly) and 221.2.2 (Hooliganism committed with resistance to representative of the authority, acting as on protection of a social order or stopping infringement of a social order or with resistance to other person) of the Criminal Code of the Azerbaijan Republic. On 24 August 2023, the Sumqayit City Court for Serious Crimes sentenced Jamil Mammadli to a preventive measure in the form of arrest until the end of the judicial investigation. He was taken into custody in the courtroom. Sentence: On 17 April 2024, the Sumqayit City Court for Serious Crimes sentenced to 6 years and 2 months in prison Judge: Fahmin Humbatov Conclusion: Jamil Mammadli had worked as a regional correspondent for the Azadliq radio (the Azerbaijani branch of Radio Liberty) since 2010 until its Baku bureau was shut down in December 2014. Afterwards, he broadcast on his YouTube channel the programmes dedicated to social problems of the northern Azerbaijanis, and in recent years he started investigating the illegal and corrupt activities of the Head of the Executive Power of the Azerbaijani Quba district. As a result, the local law enforcement bodies often initiated proceedings against him. On 17 January 2023, Jamil Mammadli appeared as a suspect in a criminal case involving the acts of hooliganism. The occasion was an incident that took place on 15 December 2022, when the car in which the blogger was travelling got into the traffic accident. The blogger said that the driver of the car that hit his tried to provoke a fight, while the police officers who were 7 watching the conflict did not interfere and even videotaped the incident and the fight! In the morning of 18 January, Jamil Mammadli was detained and accused of assaulting the participant of the road accident, Jeyhun Agabalayev, and Jeyhun's mother, but he did not plead guilty. On the same day, the police released Jamil Mammadli having prohibited him to leave the Khachmaz district for the period of investigation. The blogger considered the charges of hooliganism and resisting the law enforcement officers unfounded. However, the journalist continued to cover the activities of the local district Head. Then, on 20 August 2023, at the next trial hearing, the Sumqayit Court for Serious Crimes concurred with the arguments of the prosecution that the accused, while at large, influenced the investigation, therefore, the Court granted the prosecution's motion and Jamil Mammadli was taken into custody right in the courtroom. The accused, Jamil Mammadli, categorically refuted all the charges, pointing out that the real reason of his detention was indeed his journalistic activities. Fariz Namazly, his lawyer, said that the charges of hooliganism, extortion and fraud brought against Jamil Mammadli had been unsubstantiated and that his client’s arrest was unfounded.