Azerbaijan, Baku, 30 March / Trend corr. I.Alizadeh / Panah Huseyn, a member of MP group of Musavat in the Parliament will join the hunger strike launched by journalists protesting against pressure on press and arrest of journalists. "Huseyn will also launch a hunger strike," Shahvalad Chobanoglu, the chief editor of Gundalik Azerbaijan newspaper, stated to Trend .
Shahvalad Chobanoglu, the chief editor of Gundalik Azerbaijan newspaper, Zahid Safaroglu, editor of Yeni Musavat newspaper, and Elshan Balakhanli, journalist of Yeni Musavat newspaper, have launched a hunger strike in the editing house of Yeni Musavat for three days. They launched hunger strike to support Eynulla Fatullayev, chief editor of Gundalik Azerbaijan and Realni Azerbaijan newspapers. Natig Javadli, journalist of the Bizim Yol (Our Way) newspaper, will also join the hunger strike soon. Fatullayev launched hunger strike on 26 March.
"I also may join the hunger strike, but I do not take the final decision yet," Huseyn said. Huseyn said he support the hunger strike launched by journalists as political and legal ways of struggle to release political prisoners and stop pressure against pressure have no results.
A group of other prisoners also joined hunger strike launched by Fatullayev. They are Rasim Akparov, national hero, Ruslan Bashirli, chairman of the youth organization Yeni Fikir, and Mushvig Madatov, former police officer. All political prisoners will launch hunger strike on 5 April.
The Azeri political emigrants in Europe have launched a hunger strike to support journalists.
Fatullayev, editor-in-chief of the Gundalik Azerbaijan and Realni Azerbaijan newspapers was sentenced to eight years and six months in prison by the decision of the Heinous Crimes Court on 30 October. The sentence was read in the Heinous Crimes Court of Azerbaijan on 30 October 2007. Fatullayev was charged with violating Articles 214.1 (terrorism), 283.2.2 (hostility) and 213.2.2 (tax evasion) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan. Fatullayev allegedly did not pay tax in the amount of AZN 242,522. Fatullayev was charged as a result of articles published in his newspapers by the lawsuit of Tatyana Chaladzeh, head of the State Committee on Refugees and Internally Displaced People (IDP) on 20 April.
Presently, there are three detained journalists in Azerbaijan. They are Fatullayev, Ganimat Zahid, chief editor of Azadlig newspaper, and his brother Mirza Sakit.
Musavat's MP group unites five members.