Court fails to place "Abzas Media" journalist under house arrest

The Khatai district court of Baku today considered a petition to transfer journalist Elnara Gasymova to house arrest.

The court did not satisfy the petition, leaving the arrested in the “Abzas Media” case in custody. Her lawyer Gunay Ismaylova told .

Gasymova said in court that she was arrested because of her journalistic work and rejects the charges against her.

An appeal will be filed against the court’s decision, the lawyer said.

Note that Gasymova was arrested on 15 January on charges of committing acts under Art. 206.3.2 (smuggling by a group of persons by prior conspiracy) of the Criminal Code.

Six other journalists and media workers have been arrested in the same case since November last year, and the day before human rights defender Anar Mammadli also became a defendant.