Azerbaijan, Baku / corr TRend K.Ramazanova / Khose Lois Ansola, the head of the Baku Office of the OSCE, called for the cessation of the accusation of journalists in Azerbaijan for their professional activities. Ansola was commenting on 7 December after the accusation of a journalist with Nakhhivan service of Radio Liberty, Ilgar Nasibov.
"The OSCE has repeatedly voiced his disagreement in this respect," Ansola said.
An employee in the Azadliq radio Ilgar Nasibov was arrested for 3 months. Although an agreement was reached on 4 December between the head of the Nakhchivan Police Office, Sabuhi Novruzov and an employee at the Azadliq radio Ilgar Nasibov, and the lawsuit was withdrawn, Nasibov was again subpoenaed to court. Novruzov did not agree with becoming reconciled and urged for further consideration of the case. The judge did not offer the journalist an attorney nor was he allowed to be heard but he was sentenced to 3-month imprisonment.
OSCE earlier called on the Azerbaijani Government to pass a law on defamation and expressed its concern at the fact that a large number of journalists are jailed in the Azerbaijani prisons which is the highest amongst the 56 OSCE member-countries.
Ten journalists are detained in Azerbaijan.
Rovshan Kebirli, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper Mukhalifet and Yashar Agazade, Faramaz Allahverdiyev, an employee of the Nota-Bene newspaper, Eynulla Fatullayev, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper of Gundalik Azerbaijan and Realny Azerbaijan, have been charged with slander and sentenced to 2 and half years imprisonment.
Ganimat Zahidov, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper Azadlig is accused of hooliganism, willful damage to health, his employee Sakit Zahidov is charged with carrying illegal drugs, Samir Sadagatoglu, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper Senet and his employee Tofig Tahi are accused of infusing racial hatred, social, national, religious hatred and hostility.
The journalists say they were arrested because of their professional activities