Press release 11 January 2010 Baku, Azerbaijan
|
|  Yüklə 43 Kb.
|
| I R F S
Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety PRESS RELEASE 11 January 2010 Baku, Azerbaijan
ANNOUNCEMENT Tomorrow, 12 January, at noon, in the press center of the Institute for Reporters` Freedom and Safety, Baku city resident, Citizen Oruj Orujov Bahram oglu will conduct a press conference regarding his unfounded dismissal from work and unfair actions of State Committee on Property Issues Chairman Karam Hasanov. Media representatives and human rights defenders are invited to attend.
Human rights defenders Novella Jafaroglu, Saida Gojamanli, Seadet Benenyarli and Chingiz Ganizade met with Procurator General Zakir Garalov on 8 January and Internal Affairs Minister Ramil Usubov on 9 January raised the issue related to the imprisoned Editor-in-chief of Gundelik Azerbaijan and Realniy Azerbaijan Newspapers Eynulla Fatullayev. The Institute for Reporters` Freedom and Safety was told this by human rights defender Novella Jafaroglu. Novella Jafaroglu said that they told Garalov and Usubov that finding of narcotic on Fatullayev is provocation. In response, the authorities said that they are waiting for the result of the test and that this case will be investigated accurately. On 29 December, 0.22 grams heroin was found on Fatullayev. Eynulla Fatullayev and his lawyer assess this incident as an operation set-up to prevent the decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) regarding the journalist in the near future. Fatullayev was transferred to the Baku Investigative Prison #2 on 2 January. Eynulla Fatullayev was sentenced to 2.5 years of imprisonment on 21 April 2007 for insulting honor and dignity. Later he was convicted under articles 214.1 (threatening terror), 283.2.2 (incitement of ethnic/national, social or religious hatred abusing authority), and 213.2.2 (tax evasion) of the Criminal Code and was sentenced to 8.5 years of imprisonment on 30 October 2007. Realniy Azerbaijan has been published as weekly newspaper, and Gundelik Azerbaijan was published as a daily newspaper since 2005. Eynulla Fatullayev established the newspapers and was the editor-in-chief of both publications. The newspapers ceased their activity after the arrest of the editor-in-chief in 2007. MAHAL ISMAYILOGLU’S APPEAL NOT FULFILLED Today, 11 January, in the Sumgayit city Appellate Court, a decision was adopted on the appeal of Yeni Musavat newspaper column writer, Khalg newspaper’s former editor-in-chief Mahal (Sadigov) Ismayiloglu’s appeal against the verdict of the Absheron District Court. Mahal Ismayiloglu told the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS) that the appeal was not fulfilled. He said that he will file a cassation complaint after he receives the decision of the Appeallate Court. On 27 June 2008, M. Ismayiloglu was called to a police department on the basis of a lawsuit filed against him by his neighbor Vahid Imanov’s servant. In the complaint it is alleged that the journalist beat his neighbor’s servant for dumping trash in his yard on 3 and 21 June 2008. Therefore a criminal case was instituted against M. Ismayiloglu under article 221.3 (hooliganism with use of a weapon or weapon-like item) of the Criminal Code. On 1 July 2009 the journalist was found guilty under articles 127 (intentional infliction of minor severe bodily harm), 128 (intentional infliction of minor bodily harm) and 221.3 (hooliganism with use of a weapon or weapon-like item) of the Criminal Code and was sentenced to two years conditional imprisonment. M.Ismayiloglu claims that he was slandered for his journalism work. When using this material please attribute it to the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety. Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS) Address: 8 R. Behbudov St., Apt. 85/86, Baku, Azerbaijan Tel: (+99 412) 418-0334, E-mail: irfs.az@gmail.com Website: www.irfs.az, Skype: irfs.az |