Baku: The final hearing in the criminal case of blogger Imameddin Alimanov, who resides abroad and is accused of making public calls against the state, has been held. At the Baku Court on Grave Crimes, presided over by Judge Huseyn Huseynli, a verdict was announced in absentia.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, Imameddin Alimanov was sentenced to 7 years in prison. The charges against Alimanov fall under Article 12.1 and 281.2 of the Criminal Code, concerning repeated public calls against the state. Between April 2019 and May 2021, Alimanov, acting with a unified intent, allegedly created a YouTube social media account called ‘Xalq TV’. Through this and other channels such as ‘Osmanqizi TV’ and ‘Inqilab TV’, he is suspected of making public calls for the violent seizure and retention of power in the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as for the violent change of the constitutional order of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Since Imameddin Alimanov fled the investigation and went into hiding outside the borders of the Republic of Azerbaijan, it was not possible to bring charges against him directly. Consequently, a search warrant was issued for him by a decision dated May 27, 2021, and on the same date, the Binagadi District Court of Baku ruled to apply a preventive measure of arrest.