When Human Rights Watch's Georgi Gogia heard that several independent journalists were handed lengthy sentences this week by a court in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, he didn't know what motivated the judge. But he does know the message is an "unmistakable warning."

An Azerbaijan court has convicted nine journalists and founders of a top independent news outlet on financial crime charges and sentenced them to prison.

International media rights groups slam trial as a politically driven case to stifle critical voices