BAKU -- An Azerbaijani journalist, who was released from prison after serving a five-year term for hooliganism, a charge he has rejected as politically motivated, says the incarceration did not make him change his views.
Before his arrest in August 2014, Seymur Hazi worked for the opposition newspaper Azadliq (Liberty). He was also a television anchor and is a member of the opposition Popular Front Party.
In January 2015, he was found guilty of hooliganism and handed a five-year prison term.
Amnesty International has recognized Hazi as a prisoner of conscience.
Hazi, who was released early on August 29, told his colleagues and relatives that the prison had not broken him.
"My attitude has not changed. It [my sentencing] was the authorities' order to make me stop talking... The authorities demonstrated that they cannot stand criticism and their only response to criticism is persecution," Hazi said.
In December, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Hazi's arrest was illegal and ordered the Azerbaijani government to pay him 13,000 euros ($14,400) as compensation.
Azerbaijani Journalist Says Five Years In Prison Did Not Change Him
Editors' Picks
Top Trending
1
Will The US Leave NATO? Officials Push Back Against Rising Doubts
2As Trump Warns Ukraine Is 'Running Low On Soldiers,' Zelenskyy Bets On Young Volunteers
3Zelenskyy Says Relations With U.S. Salvageable Despite Heated Exchange In White House
4Analysis: 4 Takeaways From The Disaster In The Oval Office
5Pride, Horror, And Concern: What Ukrainians Think About The Trump-Zelenskyy Oval Office Standoff
6Taliban Declares End To Doha Agreement With The United States
7Europe Pushes For Lasting Peace, But Can Russia's Battlefield Momentum Be Halted?
8China Hunts For Opportunities In Europe And Taiwan After Ukraine Diplomacy Goes Awry
9Russia’s Invasion Plan Vs. Reality: A Map Of Miscalculations
10Russia's Foreign Mercenaries In Ukraine War: Military Leak Shows Bosnian Serb Fighter As GRU Officer
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.
