Matlab Bagirov

Affiliated media: News agency "SalamNews", Interaz , Head

Incident date: February 24, 2025

Attack type:

• Court trial

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: Toplum TV

Location: Azerbaijan, Baku

Additional information:

The trial in the criminal case against Matlab Bagirov, head of the SalamNews news agency and Interaz, has continued. The verdict was read at the Baku Grave Crimes Court in a trial presided over by Judge Leyla Askerova-Mammadova. According to the verdict, Matlab Bagirov was banned from engaging in journalistic activities for three years and sentenced to 12 years in prison. He was arrested on January 30, 2023, in a criminal case conducted by the State Security Service. Bagirov was charged under Articles 162-1.1 (involving a significant number of workers to perform any work/services without the employment agreement/contract coming into legal force), 167-3.1 (production, storage or distribution of religious extremist materials), 193.2.2 (false entrepreneurship committed with the receipt of income on a large scale), 193-1.3.2 (legalisation of property obtained by criminal means committed on a large scale) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan.