Azerbaijan, Baku, 29 March /corr. Trend I.Alizade / One more journalist joined the hunger strike being held to protest against arrest of the media representatives and pressure on the free media in Azerbaijan.
"Today (29 March) the representative of Bizim Yol newspaper ('Our Way'), Natig Javadli, joined the hunger strike," the editor-in-chief of Gundelik Azerbaijan newspaper, Shahveled Chobanoglu, reported to Trend on 29 March.
The chief editor of Gundelik Azerbaijan newspaper, Shahveled Chobanoglu, editor-in-chief of Yeni Musavat newspaper, Zahid Safaroglu and journalist of the newspaper, Elshan Balakhanli, hold hunger strike to support the editor-in-chief of Gundelik Azerbaijan and Realni Azerbaijan newspaper, Eynulla Fatullayev.
Imprisoned Fatullayav began hunger strike on 26 March. The editor-in-chief requires objective consideration of his case, release of arrested journalists and application of concrete protection mechanisms of the Council of Europe and OSCE.
Chobanoglu said that many journalists want to join the strike. However, they will join by turns in order not to present obstacles for the activities of the newspapers.
According to him, the state of the journalists who went on hunger strike is normal. Chobanoglu said that today a commission of doctors will begin observing their health.
"The strike is aimed at protecting Fatullayev. We will stop the strike if his requirements are partially implemented, if the international organizations react to his requirements, if they highlight the mechanisms of freeing political prisoners or confess that they can not do it," Chobanoglu said.
He stated that a group of prisoners joined Fatullayev. All political prisoners are expected to join the strike on 5 April.
At the same time, Azerbaijani political emigrants in Europe also commenced hunger strike to provide support.
Fatullayev was sentenced to 8 years imprisonment for terrorist threats and tax evasion.
Presently, three journalists have been imprisoned in Azerbaijan. They are Ganimat Zahid, chief editor of Azadlig newspaper, Mirza Sakit, journalist of Azadlig newspaper and Zahid's brother, and Eynulla Fatullayev, chief editor of Gundalik Azerbaijan and Realni Azerbaijan newspapers journalist.