Rauf Mirkadirov was found guilty of "high treason, namely of spying for Armenia, " the journalist's lawyer said on December 28.

The lawyer, Fuad Agayev, said that Mirkadirov "rejects the accusations as politically motivated."

Until his arrest last year, Mirkadirov, 54, worked as a correspondent for the Russian-language newspaper "Zerkalo," which is published in Azerbaijan.

The Prosecutor-General's Office alleged that Mirkadirov "was recruited by the Armenian secret services in 2008 and supplied Yerevan with information on Azerbaijan's state secrets."

Mirkadirov was accused of meeting with Armenian agents several times in Armenia, Georgia, and Turkey and providing them with images and documents that damaged Azerbaijan’s security and defense capabilities.

Prosecutors claimed Mirkadirov was "recruited " as a spy by prominent Azerbaijani rights activist Leyla Yunus and her husband, Arif Yunus.

Leyla and Arif Yunus were imprisoned on fraud and tax evasion charges earlier this year but were released from custody on health grounds. Their convictions technically remain in place, and the two continue to face charges of treason in a separate case stemming from allegations they spied for Armenia.

Mirkadirov was based in Ankara for several years and published articles critical of both the Turkish and Azerbaijani leadership.

In 2008, he was awarded the Gerd Bucerius "Free Press of Eastern Europe" international prize "for achievements in the development of independent media."

Mirkadirov was detained in Baku after he was deported from Turkey in April 2014. 

His arrest sparked widespread condemnation from international rights groups and the West.

Human Rights Watch has said Mirkadirov was being "punished for his outspoken views."