Eynulla Fatullayev, Azerbaijan, Realny Azerbaijan

Fatullayev was working as an investigative reporter for the Monitor magazine in 2005, when Huseynov, the editor, was assassinated. Two years later, Fatullayev produced an in-depth article that charged Azerbaijani authorities with ignoring evidence in the murder and obstructing the investigation. The piece, “Lead and Roses,” alleged that Huseynov’s murder was ordered by high-ranking officials in Baku and carried out by a criminal group. The article was published in Realny Azerbaijan, a newspaper Fatullayev founded after the murder.

Within days, Fatullayev began receiving death threats. Within months, he was convicted on charges of libeling Azerbaijanis in an Internet posting that was falsely attributed to him. His newspaper’s offices were then raided and shut down. More criminal charges followed, including a “terrorism” count apparently based on his published analysis of Azerbaijan’s policies toward Iran. He was convicted on a number of baseless charges and sentenced to an eight-year prison term.