11:11, 9 November 2007

European Union criticizes the arrest of the editor-in-chief of the "Real Azerbaijan" newspaper

The European Union has resolutely blamed the verdict delivered on October 30, 2007, by the Court for Grave Crimes of Azerbaijan on condemning the founder and editor-in-chief of the newspapers "Real Azerbaijan" and "Gyundelik Azerbaijan" Einullah Fatullaev to 8.5 years of imprisonment.

The EU's press release on the topic runs that the use of Criminal Code's Articles against Fatullaev is inadequate to what he had written in the article placed in the newspaper "Real Azerbaijan" on March 30, 2007, under the pseudonym of Rovshan Bagirov. This court judgement contradicts to Azerbaijani liabilities to ensure the freedoms of expressions and speech, as stipulated in the Action Plan within the framework of the European neighbourhood policy, which envisages deepening of the EU-Azerbaijan relations.

By reminding the government of Azerbaijan about their need to create due conditions for the work of free press, the EU expresses hope that critical voices in the country will not be suppressed.

Author: Zaur Rasulzade, CK correspondent