Azerbaijan, Baku / corr. Trend К.Zarbaliyeva / The preparatory hearing of appeal on the sentences, passed against journalists, charged with insulting the Islam religion and Prophet Mohammed was held on the 22nd of June.
The lawyers required to revoke the sentence, passed against Rafik Tagi and Samir Sadatoglu during the hearing in the Appeal Court of Azerbaijan, held under the chairmanship of the Judge Rasul Safarov. The next trial is scheduled for the 3rd of July.
Sadatoglu and Tagiyev were arrested in November 2006 in compliance with the Article 288 (spreading of race, national and religious hate) of the Criminal Code.
Sadatoglu was sentenced to four years and Tagi to three years of imprisonment by the Yasamal District Court's decision.
The accusation is held from an article issued in the ' Europe and we", in which they insulted the Prophet Mohammed and Islam religion.
Presently, seven Azerbaijani journalists are imprisoned. They are expected to be released on the 22nd of July due to the National Day of Media.