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Authorities in Azerbaijan must immediately release a journalist who was arrested on Tuesday on fabricated charges and ordered detained for two months, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

The statement placed on the site of the organization reads that the press in Azerbaijan must be allowed to freely cover the country's next presidential vote, scheduled for October 9, if it is to be legitimate.

The organization notes that independent newspaper Bizim Yol and Moderator.az where the arrested Hashimli works are known for their critical reporting on the government of Ilham Aliev who is seeking a third term in October. As the article notes the charges carry up to 13 years in jail.

Emin Huseynov, director of the Baku-based press freedom group Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety, told CPJ that he believed the charges against Hashimli were fabricated, and that his arrest was meant to be a threat for the local press in the run-up to the October election.

Citing Hashimli's lawyer, Huseynov told CPJ that MNB agents had orchestrated the detention of the journalist. He said that a man named Tavvakyul Gurbanov had called Hashimli to meet him outside the Moderator offices in connection to what he said was a “personal matter.” When Hashimli went outside and sat in Gurbanov's car, MNB agents surrounded the vehicle and searched it. The agents claimed to have found six guns as well as ammunition. News reports said that Gurbanov said he had brought the weapons on Hashimli's request, which the journalist denied. Hashimli also denied ever having met Gurbanov before.

"We call on Azerbaijani authorities to release Parviz Hashimli and drop all charges against him, and call for all confiscated reporting materials and equipment to be returned to the Bizim Yol and Moderator newsrooms," CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova said.

According to her, imprisoning a critical journalist and harassing his publications just weeks before the country's presidential vote “is a cowardly move and does a disservice to both Azerbaijan's public and the government.”

CPJ research shows that press freedom conditions in Azerbaijan have significantly deteriorated in recent years. CPJ has documented multiple cases in which authorities have fabricated criminal charges, including terrorism, drug possession, and weapons smuggling, in order to rein in critics. At least eight other journalists are imprisoned in the country in retaliation for their reporting on sensitive issues, such as government corruption and human rights abuses.

The employee of independent newspaper "Bizim Yol" (Our way) and director of the site “Moderator.az” Parviz Gashimli was arrested on 17 September 2013 Azerbaijan. Gashimli was detained at the editorial office of the site “Moderator.az” by the MNS officers. The MNS officers entered Gashimli’s private house in Baladzhary village and the editorial office of "Bizim Yol" newspaper at the same time. MNS officers "found" 30 grenades and a pistol in Gashimli’s house. Wife of the journalist noted that weapons were brought into the house by the MNS staff.