Two Sputnik News Officials Sentenced to Prison in Azerbaijan
A court in Azerbaijan has sentenced two senior officials from the Russian state-backed Sputnik News Agency to four months in prison, according to a report by webangah News Agency.
The Baku court convicted Igor Kartavykh,editor-in-chief of Sputnik Azerbaijan,and Yevgeny belousov,the outlet’s managing director,on unspecified charges.Official details regarding the allegations or legal basis for the ruling have not yet been released.
Sputnik, a Kremlin-supported Russian-language media outlet, has previously faced legal restrictions in several countries.
This decision comes amid strained relations between Russia and Azerbaijan due to regional developments and geopolitical tensions.
The Russian Foreign Ministry stated in a release that during a meeting between Russia’s Deputy Foreign minister and Azerbaijan’s Ambassador, Moscow formally protested Baku’s “unfriendly actions” to the envoy. A note demanding the immediate release of detained Russian journalists was also handed to Azerbaijan’s ambassador.
The ministry further emphasized that law enforcement actions in Yekaterinburg fully complied with Russian legal statutes. It condemned Baku’s attempts to accuse Russian authorities of power abuse as interference in Moscow’s internal affairs.
