On July 13, Azerbaijan arrested, former Minister of Defense, Rahim Gaziyev on the grounds of incitement against the state and provocation online.
“[…]former Defense Minister Rahim Gaziyev purposefully spread inappropriate news about the events on social media and reasonable suspicions have been found that these acts aimed at weakening its defense capabilities of the Republic of Azerbaijan, provoking people to riots and openly calling for the seizure of state power,” wrote state news agency APA
The 77-year-old retired minister was sentenced to four months in pre-trial detention on July 14.
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Gaziyev served as the Minister of Defense between 1992-1993. He was then arrested in 1993 and allegedly escaped prison in 1994. In 1995 he was sentenced to death in absentia. He was re-arrested in 1996. Gaziyev was pardoned in 2005.
On September 4, the indictment was changed and Gaziyev was released under house arrest.