Azerbaijan, Baku, 4 April / Trend corr. G.Jabiyev / The opposition Democratic Party of Azerbaijan (DPA) believes the journalists on hunger strike are the wrong path to take.
"No-one can achieve freedom of speech and release journalists through a hunger strike," Sardar Jalaloglu, the chairman of DPA and candidate of the party to the presidential post, stated to Trend .
On 26 March, the imprisoned Fatullayav went on a hunger strike. The editor-in-chief demanded objective consideration of his case, the release of arrested journalists and tangible protection to be applied by the Council of Europe and OSCE.
The chief editor of Gundelik Azerbaijan newspaper, Shahvalad Chobanoglu, editor-in-chief of Yeni Musavat newspaper, Zahid Safaroglu and journalist of the newspaper, Elshan Balakhanli, are on a hunger strike for five consecutive days in support of the editor-in-chief of Gundalik Azerbaijan and Realniy Azerbaijan newspaper, Eynulla Fatullayev.
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.
Aydin Mirzazade, a member of the YAP political Councilbelieves that the only reasonable way to solve the problem is to appeal to the President to be pardoned.
Mubariz Gurbanli, the deputy executive secretary of YAP, noted that the Government is ready to hold discussions with the opposition.
Jalaloglu believes that negotiations are one of the most appropriate ways forward.
Arif Hajili, the head of Executive Administration of opposition Musavat party, stated to Trend that he supported the idea of holding negotiations with the Government in order to release the imprisoned journalists.
DPA was founded by Jalaloglu in 1991. The party took a radical position against the Government until 2007. In January 2007, the party took on a new political course and improved relations with the authorities. Protesting against such an action Rasul Guliyev, the ex-chairman, and his supporters left the party and founded the Open Society party
The opposition party Musavat was founded in 1992. Isa Gambar, the present Chairman of the Party was the Ex-Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament (Milli Majlis) in 1992-1993 and the candidate nominated to the Presidential elections held in the country in 2003. Five MPs represents the Party in the Parliament of the Country.
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