New Delhi, May 23 -- In a deeply troubling development that highlights Azerbaijan's increasingly strict clampdown on dissent, a young man named Igbal Abilov has been sentenced to 18 years in prison-simply for having online conversations with an Armenian academic.

The case has drawn criticism from human rights organisations and raised alarm among those advocating for peace in the Caucasus region.

Abilov was found guilty of "high treason" and "collaborating with Armenian special services". But those so-called services turned out to be none other than a respected historian - Professor Garnik Asatrian, an expert in Iranian studies based in Armenia. The two reportedly spoke via Skype while Abilov was residing in a third country, engaging in ...