6 July 2007

Alert

New terrorism charge brought against opposition editor already serving 30-month sentence for defamation


Incident details

Eynulla Fatullayev

editor(s)

legal action
(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 5 July 2007 CPJ press release:

AZERBAIJAN: Security ministry hits opposition editor with new charges

New York, July 5, 2007 - The Committee to Protect Journalists deplores the continued persecution of Eynulla Fatullayev, imprisoned editor of the Russian-language weekly Realny Azerbaijan and the Azeri-language daily Gündalik Azarbaycan, and that of his staff. The Ministry of National Security (MNB) brought a new criminal charge of incitement to ethnic and religious hatred against Fatullayev on Tuesday, and it interrogated three journalists from the now-shuttered Gündalik Azarbaycan on Wednesday.

The government also formally charged Fatullayev with terrorism in Sabail District Court in Baku on Tuesday. The government's intention to file terror charges was first disclosed on May 16. Together, the new charges could bring up to 17 years in prison. Fatullayev is already serving a 30-month jail term on a libel conviction.

"We are shocked by these charges against Eynulla Fatullayev, which seem part of systemic campaign of persecution to silence him and destroy his newspapers," said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. "We call on authorities to withdraw the charges immediately."

According to local press reports and the Institute for Reporter Freedom and Safety (IRFS), a Baku-based press freedom group, the MNB charged Fatullayev with terrorism, and incitement of national, ethnic, or religious hatred. The charges stem from a commentary headlined, "The Aliyevs Go to War," published earlier this year in the Russian-language weekly Realny Azerbaijan and written by Rovshan Bagirov. The commentary focused on President Ilham Aliyev's foreign policy regarding Iran and it contained harshly critical language about the Azerbaijani government. MNB officials did not elaborate on the charges or explain how the piece amounted to terrorism and incitement of hatred.

On Wednesday, the MNB interrogated Gündalik Azarbaycan editors Shahvaled Chobanoglu, Uzeir Jafarov, and Khalid Kazimli about the paper's financing, its sales, the topics Fatullayev covered, and the weekly's editorial independence from Realny Azerbaijan. Chobanoglu was also questioned about "The Aliyevs Go to War," although the piece did not appear in Gündalik Azarbaycan, the IRFS reported.

The terror charges against Fatullayev and the interrogation of his staffers reflect the government's aggressive recent retaliation against the publications.

Local authorities evicted both Realny Azerbaijan and Gündalik Azarbaycan from their Baku offices on May 21, saying that the office building violated safety regulations. Authorities seized computers from the premises, which have been sealed.

On June 6, a Baku judge upheld an earlier libel conviction against Eynulla Fatullayev and left intact his 30-month jail sentence. Authorities dismissed the journalist's complaints of ill treatment in MNB custody. In April, Fatullayev was sentenced to 30 months in prison on charges of libeling and insulting Azerbaijanis in a piece that the journalist said he did not write. Fatullayev said the charges were fabricated.

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 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 Eynulla Fatullayev charged with terrorism; his home searched, his newspaper's computers, documents confiscated 24 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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