New charge presented to Azerbaijani journalist Polad Aslanov

Polad Aslanov, a journalist has been accused of a murder threat or causing grievous bodily harm. His wife treats accusations as far-fetched; Polad refuses to plead guilty.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Polad Aslanov, the editor-in-chief of the editions "Xeberman.com" and "Press-az.com", was detained on June 12, 2019, on suspicion of espionage. In August, his wife, Gyulmira Aslanova, reported deterioration of his health.

"Seven months after Polad's arrest, he was charged again. According to investigators, he had threatened some victim, whom the State Security Service (SSS) represents as a journalist," Ms Aslanova has stated.

She believes that the charge is "ridiculous," since the person who figures in the case as a victim is physically stronger than her husband.

"Polad is punished because he made public facts of extortion by special agents of money from the entrepreneurs involved in organizing religious tours to Islamic shrines in Iran and Iraq," the wife is convinced.

Emin Guseinov, the executive director of the Institute of Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS), also doubts the investigators 'version.

"Now, it's the seventh month of investigation; it's a lot for a case, in which there's only one defendant. If investigators possess strong proofs, let them present them to the public. But they wouldn't. The investigation is dragging on; and now Aslanov has faced another charge. One can't say something for sure. Possibly, they have no reliable proofs to the first charge, and, therefore, to justify his arrest, they've invented a new charge, but it's also very doubtful. By his nature, Polad Aslanov is not an aggressive person to threaten someone with death," Mr Guseinov has stated.