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Azerbaijani Commentator Sentenced To 13 Years For ‘Espionage’
A Baku court has sentenced Azerbaijani political commentator Nazakat Mammadova to 13 years in prison on charges of spying for Russia, RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani Service reports. Mammadova, who appeared in the media as a commentator and hosted Alfa TV on YouTube was arrested in October last year and sentenced on November 5. She was accused by Azerbaijan’s State Security Service of using her journalist credentials to collaborate with Russian intelligence services. Azerbaijani authorities alleged that her YouTube channel was broadcasting “openly pro-Russian materials” and interviews for which she received money during regular trips to Moscow, where she allegedly held secret meetings with Russian intelligence officers. Mammadova has rejected all the charges, saying she traveled to Russia for conferences and the money she received was for travel expenses. Azerbaijani authorities have imprisoned several journalists in recent years. The Committee to Protect Journalists has called charges against journalists “fabricated” and “politicized.”
