Azerbaijan, Baku / corr. K.Zarbaliyeva / The sentence of Sabail District Court with regards to the Azerbaijani journalists accused of insulting Islam and Prophet Mohammad was upheld.
The State prosecutor, Mohbaly Gurbanov, asked the Judge Rasul Safarov to cancel the complaint of Editor-in-Chief of Sanat newspaper, Sadagatoglu and publicist, Rafig Tagi. Prosecuted journalists' advocate Isakhan Ashurov said that the decision of the court was unfair and a cassation appeal will be raised due to it to the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan and European Court on Human Rights.
Sadagatoglu and Tagi were arrested in November 2006 over the article 283 (fomentation of national and religious antagonism) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan. They are accused of insulting Islam and Prophet Mohammad in the article entitled ' Europe and we'. According to the decision of court, Tagi was sentenced to three-years in prison and Sadagatoglu - four-years in prison.