The court investigation into the case of Teymur Karimov, the head of “Kanal 11” internet television, has been completed, with the prosecutor requesting a 9-year prison sentence for the journalist, who has been in custody for over a year. The state prosecutor also called for Karimov to be banned from practicing journalism for two years and six months, in addition to serving his prison sentence.
Karimov faces charges under Article 182 for extortion with threats, a case in which Istek Totiyeva, a former reporter at the channel, is also implicated. Totiyeva, however, is not in prison; she is currently under police supervision. The prosecutor has requested a 3-year sentence for her involvement.
The indictment claims that Karimov and Totiyeva demanded 10,000 manat from Leyla Almaszadeh and Farrukh Alekperov for the removal of a video from the channel, although they reported to receive only 1,000 manat. Both Almaszadeh and Alekperov have denied these allegations. In fact, Almaszadeh testified in court that she had no complaints against Karimov and had not given him any money.
Karimov has firmly denied the accusations, calling them unfounded and asserting that he is being punished for his journalistic work, particularly for exposing illegal activities. His defense lawyer, Nemat Karimli, filed several motions during the trial, including a request for phone records from both Alekperov and Totiyeva to determine if they had been in communication. However, the court denied these motions.
Karimov also testified about his treatment during detention at the Anti-Organized Crime Department (“Bandotdel”), claiming that there were attempts to frame him with drugs. He alleged that he was beaten in an attempt to force him to take drugs, but when he refused, the extortion charges emerged.
The trial has been postponed until December 28 to allow the defense more time to prepare.
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