Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 11
Trend:
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev instructed the appropriate authorities to consider the request by director of Turan News Agency Mehman Aliyev to replace his imprisonment with house arrest, said Ali Hasanov, Azerbaijani president’s aide for public and political affairs.
“Director of Turan News Agency Mehman Aliyev was charged on several articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan and arrested in August of this year,” he said. “Azerbaijan Press Council made a request to President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev for a just settlement of the issue in accordance with the country’s laws. At the same time, Mehman Aliyev made a request to the head of state for replacement of his imprisonment with house arrest.”
“I should emphasize that back in 2009, President Ilham Aliyev expressed his opinion and will that given democratic principles, supremacy of the freedom of speech and information in Azerbaijan, charging media employees for their professional activities is not reasonable,” Hasanov said. “Under instructions of the head of state, media employees have not been imprisoned for their professional activities in Azerbaijan since 2009.”
“This decision is a clear manifestation of the Azerbaijani president’s unchangeable position and will that democratic principles, freedom of speech and information, independence of the mass media and free activities of journalists must be ensured in the country,” Hasanov noted.
Ali Hasanov also commented on Alexander Lapshin’s case.
“The release and extradition of Lapshin, who was imprisoned in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Azerbaijan, has constantly been on the agenda,” Hasanov added. “An appropriate decision on this issue had been delayed simply because a request from the State of Israel, of which Lapshin is a citizen, had been delayed. This request has already been made and a decision on Alexander Lapshin has already been taken.”