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Azerbaijan, Baku, 17 July/ Trend , corr R. Novruzov/ OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) has condemned the trial on the case of attack on the writer for Azadlig newspaper of Azerbaijan. |
The OSCE representative for freedom of speech and media Miklos Haraszti described the trial of Sergey Strekalin, who is charged with attacking Agil Khalil, journalist of Azadlig paper, as 'a hostile campaign'.
Sergey Strekalin, charged with stabbing Khalil, was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in jail in a court sitting held in Nasimi District Court of Baku on 15 July. The writer for Azadlig daily Agil Khalil was stabbed with knife near the buildings located in 523 str Ayna Sultanova by unknown people on 13 March. The Attorney General's Office said that the journalist was stabbed by the homosexuals, that is, by Sergey Strekalin, with whom he had sexual relations earlier.
Strekalin was arrested with charges of inflicting injury to health deliberately (127.1) and storing drugs illegally (234.1) in line with the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.
In a statement posted in website of OSCE Haraszti describes charges against Strekalin as 'false'.
The OSCE representative urged the Azerbaijani government to release the imprisoned journalists.
There are 3 imprisoned journalists in Azerbaijan - Eynulla Fatullayev, editor-in-chief of Gundalik Azerbaijan and Realniy Azerbaijan, Ganimat Zahid, editor-in-chief of Azadlig daily and Mirza Sakit, the writer for the same paper.
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