Judicial harassment of Elchin Hasanov
On 3 March 2016, Azerbaijani authorities initiated a criminal case against Elchin Hasanov. This followed an article he published, in which he exposed corruption within the Government related to the selling of goods reserved for army needs on the black market in Azerbaijan. On 27 July 2016, the Baku Court of Appeal upheld a decision made by a lower court, and sentenced Elchin Hasanov to one year of work in the public interest for allegedly committing a crime of hooliganism.
Elchin Hasanov is a journalist and Deputy Director of the Social Union of Legal Education of Sumgait Youth (SULESY), an organisation which provides free legal assistance to low income families and legal support for local NGOs.
On 3 March 2016, the authority initiated a criminal case against the organisation's Deputy Director, human rights defender and journalist, Mr. Elchin Hasanov, following an article he published in which he exposed corruption within the Government related to the selling of goods reserved for army needs on the black market in Azerbaijan. On 27 July 2016, the Baku Court of Appeal upheld a decision made by a lower court, and sentenced Elchin Hasanov to one year of work in the public interest for allegedly committing a crime of hooliganism. In Azerbaijan, such a sentence obliges the convicted person to hand over a part of their monthly salary to the state.
Front Line Defenders expresses its serious concern at the continuous judicial persecution of the members of the human rights organisation SULESY, including Elchin Hasanov.
