Azerbaijan Urges to Release Dissenting Journalist for Writing about Khojalu

Azerbaijan Urges to Release Dissenting Journalist for Writing about Khojalu

16:04 • 23.04.10

Amnesty International has urged the Azerbaijani authorities to free a journalist jailed on trumped up charges of terrorism and defamation after the European Court of Human Rights ruled he had been wrongfully imprisoned.

The Court said on Thursday that Eynulla Fatullayev, jailed in April 2007 after writing a series of newspaper articles critical of the authorities, should be released immediately.
“Azerbaijan should take this opportunity to show it is willing to bring to an end its reputation for silencing dissenting voices and imprisoning those that speak out against the government,” said Natalia Nozadze, Amnesty International’s researcher on Azerbaijan.
Eynulla Fatullayev was convicted of defamation after writing two articles that disputed the official account of the 1992 mass killings of Azerbaijani civilians in the town of Khojaly, during the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
He was subsequently convicted on terrorism charges for publishing an article discussing the possible consequences for Azerbaijan of a US-Iranian war, which the Azerbaijani authorities regarded as a threat of terrorism. The article criticized foreign policy decisions made bythe Azerbaijani government.
The European Court verdict stated that Eynulla Fatullayev’s convictions on charges of defamation and terrorism violated his rights to free expression. It found that he had been unfairly tried and that there was “no justification for the imposition of a prison sentence.”If not contested the Court's verdict becomes final after three months.
Amnesty International said it believed Eynulla Fatullayev's imprisonment was an attempt to silence his reporting and considers him to be a prisoner of conscience.
As a state party to the European Convention on Human Rights, Azerbaijan is obliged to adhere to the court’s final judgement. “The authorities should release Eynulla Fatullayev without delay.” said Natalia Nozadze.

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