Azerbaijan, Baku / corr Trend E.Huseynli / The Azerbaijani authoruties are concerned on arrest of journalists in the country, Ali Hassanov, the head of the Public-Political Department of the Azerbaijani President's Administration, told Trend on 13 November.
"Irrespective of profession every citizen should respect the laws and do not trample down other people," Hassanov said.
In the evening of 11 November, editor-in-chief of the opposition Azadlyg newspaper, Ganimat Zahid was called to Yasamal District Court in Baku and was detained as a suspected person. He was accused of hooliganism and assault charges. Zahid is currently being held in a preliminary detention cell. On 12 November, Yasamal District Court sentenced him to two months in prison. Currently eight journalists in Azerbaijan are under arrest.
Commenting on Ganimat Zahid's arrest, Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry's Press Secretary, Khazar Ibrahim, said on 12 November that the journalists should also answer for their actions within the law". International organizations, as well as US Department of State expressed concerns of seven Azerbaijani journalists.
According to Hasanov, the Government of Azerbaijan is the most interested side in expanding the borders of the free press in the Country, ensuring free analysis, following processes in and out country from the pages of the press.
According to him, existence of unprofessional people in the Azerbaijani press brings serious harms to image of the press and State.
Hassanov said that it is necessary to wait for completion of hearings on the arrest of the editor-in-chief of Azadlyg newspaper. "Afterwards, the public will have exact information whether Zahiv deserved his arrest," he stressed.
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