Guliyev, editor-in-chief of the pro-government daily Ideal, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison on criminal defamation and insult charges.
Ramiz Zeynalov, head of the Interior Ministry Traffic Police Department, filed a complaint against Guliyev after Ideal published two articles describing alleged corruption in the department in May and August, according to local press reports. An appeals court freed Guliyev in December after the journalist reached “reconciliation” with Zeynalov, according to news reports.