On 22 May 2017 freelance journalist, Nijat Amiraslanov, known for his critical reports for local and regional media about poverty in the region and corruption among local officials, was detained in the Gazakh region of north-western Azerbaijan.
On 23 May 2017 Amiraslanov appeared before Gazakh Regional Court, which found him guilty under Article 535.1 of the Code of Administrative Offences (‘disobeying police orders’) and sentenced him to 30 days’ administrative arrest.
According to reports by the Turan news agency in Azerbaijan, human rights activist, Bashir Suleymanly, believes that Amiraslanov was detained as a result of recent posts he has made on social media which are critical of the Azerbaijani authorities. Meydan TV’s reporting on the arrest also states that Amiraslanov’s parents believe his arrest to be linked to posts on his Facebook page.