Lionel Messi sentenced to 21 months in prison over tax fraudJuly 6, 2016 - 16:02 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Argentina and Barcelona footballer Lionel Messi has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for tax fraud, BBC News reports. His father, Jorge Messi, was also given a jail term for defrauding Spain of €4.1m (£3.5m; $4.5m) between 2007 and 2009. They also face millions of euros in fines for using tax havens in Belize and Uruguay used to conceal earnings from image rights. However, neither man is expected to serve time in jail. Under the Spanish system, prison terms under two years can be served under probation. The footballer and his father were found guilty of three counts of tax fraud in Wednesday, July 6's ruling by the court in Barcelona. Messi was fined about €2m and his father €1.5m. During the trial, Lionel Messi insisted he "knew nothing" about the management of his financial affairs, saying he was "playing football." For his part, Jorge Messi claimed he did not have enough knowledge to orchestrate such a fraud, blaming his tax consultants instead. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Cyprus parliament honors Armenian genocide victims Acting House President Zacharias Koulias noted that April 24 marks the “black anniversary” of the Armenian genocide. Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed. Azerbaijan razes historic Armenian church to ground Azerbaijan has demolished the historic Armenian Church of St. John the Baptist (known as Kanach Zham). Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills |