India, May 23 -- Igbal Abilov, an Azerbaijani scholar and lecturer at Belarusian State University, was sentenced to 18 years in jail over his online communication with Armenian academic Professor Garnik Asatrian, reported the Armenian Report.

The harsh verdict came after Abilov was found guilty of "high treason" and "collaborating with Armenian special services." The outlet, however, reported that Asatrian is not a political figure or military strategist. He is a professor known for researching languages, cultures, and ethnic histories. The professor works at Yerevan State University and the Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University.

"It's been exactly nine months since our son was taken from us," Shahib Abilov, father of Igbal Abilov, tol...