AZERBAIJAN: Journalist and editor-in-chief of opposition newspaper released under state amnesty after spending four years in prison

Record ID: 217976

  • Title: AZERBAIJAN: Journalist and editor-in-chief of opposition newspaper released under state amnesty after spending four years in prison
  • Date: 28th May 2011
  • Summary: (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) VARIOUS OF EYNULLA FATULLAYEV TOASTING AND DRINKING WITH FRIENDS AND JOURNALISTS AT HIS HOME EYNULLA FATULLAYEV TALKING TO JOURNALIST (SOUNDBITE) (Azeri) OPPOSITION JOURNALIST AND NEWSPAPER EDITOR EYNULLA FATULLAYEV, SAYING "I tried and I managed to show to Azerbaijan society that a man can live, feel and think freely and speak freely while h
  • Embargoed: 12th June 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Azerbaijan, Azerbaijan
  • Country: Azerbaijan
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA68M7FV12197DQ9I4Z668D47D7
  • Story Text: An Azeri opposition journalist whose imprisonment has been criticised by international rights groups walked free on Thursday (May 26) under a presidential amnesty.
    Eynulla Fatullayev, jailed in 2007 on what supporters said were politically motivated charges, was among 70 convicts who were freed or had their sentences reduced under a decree from President Ilham Aliyev.
    Fatullayev, editor of the opposition newspaper 'Real Azerbaijan', was initially sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison on charges of terrorism, inciting ethnic hatred and tax evasion.
    After being released he was greeted by colleagues and friends at home.
    "I tried and I managed to show to Azerbaijan society that a man can live, feel and think freely and speak freely while he is in jail," Fatullayev told journalists at home.
    The European Court of Human Rights ruled last year that his imprisonment was illegal. Azerbajian's top court upheld the European court ruling and overturned his conviction, but left in place a separate two-and-a-half-year jail sentence imposed by a lower court for possession of illegal drugs. His lawyers said that the drug charge had been fabricated.
    Amnesty International welcomed Aliyev's move calling it a step in the right direction for freedom of expression in Azerbaijan.
    "This release and pardon is without a doubt a step forward for Azerbaijan, it is without a doubt a positive sign in the local freedom of speech situation. However, we need to keep in mind that the charges against him have not been lifted," Amnesty International's Russian representative, Natalia Sergeeva, told Reuters on Friday (May 27).
    However, the London-based human rights watchdog representative said they were not happy with the overall human rights situation in the region as many independent journalists and human rights activists still remained in jail on politically motivated charges.
    "We must not forget that many people are still imprisoned (in Azerbaijan). They are journalists and also bloggers, as it is very common now to put bloggers in prison for long terms or under administrative arrests for a few days. They are arrested on charges of fomenting enmity or discord, of inciting to depose the regime or of defamation. They also put people who have posted announcements calling people to demonstrations on their Facebook webpages in prison." Sergeeva said.
    Critics accuse Aliyev's government of trampling on democratic freedoms in the oil-producing former Soviet republic on the Caspian Sea.
    A leading political activist was sentenced to two years in prison this month in another case that stoked criticism of Aliyev, who was steered into office by his father, long-time president Heydar Aliyev, before his death in 2003.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register