24 May 2007

Alert

Imprisoned editor Eynulla Fatullayev charged with terrorism; his home searched, his newspaper's computers, documents confiscated


Incident details

Eynulla Fatullayev

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 22 May 2007 CPJ press release:

In Azerbaijan, new charge filed against imprisoned editor

New York, May 22, 2007 - Azerbaijani authorities have filed a terrorism charge against Eynulla Fatullayev, the imprisoned editor of the independent Russian-language weekly Realny Azerbaijan and the Azeri-language daily Gundalik Azarbaycan, in the latest government action against the journalist and his publications. Fatullayev, a persistent government critic, is already in prison on a specious defamation charge and has received multiple death threats. Over the weekend, government officials sealed his newspapers' offices.

National Security Ministry spokesperson Arif Babayev announced today that Fatullayev had been charged under Article 214 of the criminal code with calling for terrorist actions, the news Web site Day reported. If convicted on that count, Fatullayev would face up to 12 years in prison, according to Emin Huseynov, chairman of the local press group Institute for Reporter Freedom and Safety (IRFS).

The National Security Ministry accused Fatullayev, who has covered the ongoing dispute between Azerbaijan and Armenia extensively, of assisting Armenian Special Forces, according to local press reports. The ministry did not elaborate on the nature of the alleged assistance.

National Security agents today conducted an hours-long search of the editor's home and the papers' offices. The offices were sealed on Sunday after fire officials alleged that the building housing the publications was in violation of fire safety regulations. Agents confiscated all of the papers' 21 computers in today's search, IRFS reported ( http://www.cpj.org/news/2007/europe/azer21may07na.html ). The independent Turan news agency said agents also seized notebooks and other documents.

Fatullayev had drawn threats from Azerbaijani nationalists after he traveled in February 2005 to Nagorno-Karabakh, a territory claimed by both Armenia and Azerbaijan, to interview leaders of the region's unrecognized government. Last month, Fatullayev was sentenced to 30 months in prison for defaming refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh in a remark posted on the Internet ( http://www.cpj.org/news/2007/europe/azer20apr07na.html ). Fatullayev told CPJ in March he never made the comment and that the case had been manufactured to silence him.

"Not content with having jailed Eynulla Fatullayev on a spurious libel charge, the authorities in Azerbaijan have now brought a vague terrorism charge that could keep him behind bars for another 12 years," said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. "Without supporting evidence, this indictment seems to be the latest step in a relentless onslaught by the authorities to silence critical media and journalists. We call on the prosecution to withdraw this charge immediately."

Gundalik Azarbaycan editor Uzeyir Jafarov told CPJ the staff intended to continue publishing the newspapers.

Realny Azerbaijan is the successor of the opposition weekly Monitor, which was shut down after the unsolved March 2005 assassination of its editor, Elmar Huseynov ( http://www.cpj.org/news/2007/europe/azer01mar07na.html ). Both Realny Azerbaijan and Gundalik Azarbaycan are known for their critical reporting and are widely read in Azerbaijan. In March of this year, Fatullayev received a death threat after accusing Azerbaijani officials of involvement in Huseynov's killing ( http://www.cpj.org/news/2007/europe/azer07mar07na.html ). The threats have continued even while Fatullayev has been in prison.

According to CPJ research, Azerbaijan is one of the world's worst backsliders on press freedom and the leading jailer of journalists in the region ( http://www.cpj.org/backsliders/index.html ). High-ranking government officials have suppressed critical voices by filing criminal defamation lawsuits, lodging spurious drug charges, and imprisoning independent and opposition journalists.

CPJ is a New York-based, independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.cpj.org



Source:

Committee to Protect Journalists
330 7th Ave., 11th Floor
New York, NY 10001
USA
info (@) cpj.org
Phone: +1 212 465 1004
Fax: +1 212 465 9568
 

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More on this case

Journalist Eynulla Fatullayev granted amnesty in honour of 28 May holiday 27 May 2011 Joint appeal to UNESCO director-general over Fatullayev case 4 May 2011 Government claims to have complied with ECHR judgment on Fatullayev case 4 May 2011 "Fifty Fatullayevs" outside London Embassy demand release of jailed Azerbaijani journalist 19 April 2011 Family of imprisoned journalist receives threatening phone call 13 April 2011 CPJ concerned about Fatullayev's safety, calls for his release 23 March 2011 Council of Europe Committee of Ministers must demand journalist's release, says International Partnership Group for Azerbaijan 2 March 2011 Fatullayev fears for his safety in prison 11 February 2011 Baku Appeals Court denies Fatullayev's appeal, defies ECHR ruling 3 February 2011 Supreme Court rejects imprisoned editor's appeal 3 January 2011 Council of Europe Committee calls on government to release Eynulla Fatullayev 8 December 2010 Fatullayev's fate lies with the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers, says ARTICLE 19 6 December 2010 Editor Eynulla Fatullayev remains jailed despite ECHR call for his release 12 November 2010 In latest humiliation, newspaper editor appears in court inside cage 8 November 2010 Send a letter in support of jailed editor 29 October 2010 Joint letter calls for newspaper editor's release 28 October 2010 ECHR upholds decision on release of Eynulla Fatullayev 21 October 2010 Authorities say imprisoned journalist will not be freed regardless of appeal outcome 22 July 2010 Imprisoned editor sentenced to an additional two and a half years in prison 7 July 2010 IRFS appeals to president as imprisoned editor starts hunger strike 7 June 2010 Comply with European Court decision on case of imprisoned journalist, ARTICLE 19, International PEN urge 19 May 2010 Authorities urged to comply with ECHR order and release editor Eynulla Fatullayev 23 April 2010 European Court of Human Rights orders journalist's release 23 April 2010 Eynulla Fatullayev's appeal rejected 18 March 2010 Eynulla Fatullayev and family threatened 18 March 2010 Imprisoned editor concerned over possible threat to his life 3 March 2010 Editor's detention prolonged by two more months 1 March 2010 CPJ delegation calls for Eynulla Fatullayev's release 22 January 2010 Editor to be tried on new charge, sentenced to two months' detention in isolation unit 6 January 2010 Authorities trump up new charge against award-winning editor Eynulla Fatullayev 31 December 2009 Detained journalist harassed in prison 27 October 2008 Supreme Court upholds editor's conviction 4 June 2008 Imprisoned editor starts hunger strike to protest jailing of journalists 26 March 2008 Appeals court upholds conviction of critical editor 17 January 2008 Outspoken editor Eynulla Fatullayev sentenced to eight and a half years in prison 30 October 2007 Supreme Court upholds editor's prison sentence 27 August 2007 New terrorism charge brought against opposition editor already serving 30-month sentence for defamation 6 July 2007 Imprisoned editor Eynulla Fatullayev receives death threats, inhumane treatment; his conviction confirmed 8 June 2007 Fifteen journalists seek political asylum in protest against closure of newspapers 29 May 2007 Imprisoned editor target of death threat; two newspapers evicted amid media harassment campaign 22 May 2007 Editor of critical newspaper brutally beaten after protesting conviction of colleague 24 April 2007 Embattled editor jailed for libel and insult over article he denies writing 23 April 2007

Azerbaijan

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