Osman Nariman oglu Rzayev – Editor-in-Chief of the https://demokratik.az website Arrested: 5 July 2022 Charge: Article 182.2.2 (Extortion or requirement to transfer another's property or right on property or commitment of other actions committed repeatedly) of the Criminal Code of the Azerbaijan Republic.
On 7 July 2022, the Goygol District Court issued a ruling: to apply a preventive measure against Osman Rzayev in the form of arrest for a period of 4 months.
The period of detention in custody during the investigation has been subsequently extended times.
On 1 February 2023 the criminal case was sent to the Ganja City Court for Serious Crimes.
Yet, the litigation had been dragging on and then, on 23 July 2023, Osman Rzayev announced a hunger strike demanding his release.
Sentence: On 25 January 2024, the Ganja City Court for Serious Crimes sentenced to 6 years and 6 months in prison Judge: Roman Alakbarli Conclusion: On 5 July 2022, Osman Rzayev was arrested on charges of extorting money from the officials of the Land Reclamation Department and Physicians of Goranboy and Goygol districts.
At the end of 2018, Osman Rzayev filed a lawsuit in the Goygol Court, in which he accused the Head of the Land Reclamation of Goygol district, Ilgar Maharramov, in slander and blackmailing.
Following his arrest, the journalist claimed that the accusations had been false and that he had been slandered by those he had published revelatory material on the corruption about.
Meanwhile, Ilgar Hajizada, the Goygol District Prosecutor, had taken the side of the corruptionists.
Osman Rzayev claims that the prosecution neither has evidence of extortion nor there is any evidence at all.
Osman Rzayev, while being in the detention center, passed a message through his relatives in which he reported the moral torture he had been subjected to by the investigative and prosecutorial authorities.
According to the Article 91 of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan Republic, an individual may request a transfer of his/her case to a public trial hearing whilst being under investigation.
Osman Rzayev is demanding a public trial.
He believes that along with the unlawful prolongation of the investigation, he is being subjected to moral torture.
On 7 December 2023, his wife Arzu Rzayeva told: «The last meeting was held on 7 September, three months ago.
Then the court decided to send requests to mobile operators in order to provide billing for Osman's telephone conversations.
By law, court requests must be secured within 30 days.
The answers from the operators have come, but the meetings are not being held».
According to her, the meeting scheduled for 7 December was again postponed indefinitely on the pretext that "the trial of the Armenian military was held in the Ganja Court for Serious Crimes." «The case against the Armenian military was considered by another panel of judges.
It was an excuse to postpone the trial of Osman again» A.Rzayeva said. 4 The editor's wife sees the prolongation of the trial as an «order» to keep Osman Rzayev in custody as «long as possible», exerting "moral pressure" on him.
According to her, there is no reliable evidence of her husband's guilt and he is being prosecuted on the basis of false witness testimony.
On 17 May 2024, it took place a trial at the Court of Appeal and on 6 November 2024, the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan upheld the sentence.
On 19 November 2024, Osman Rzayev announced a hunger strike in protest against the criminal prosecution and disregard of his complaints by the AR General Prosecutor.
