Council of Europe is concerned with arrest of Radio Liberty journalist in Azerbaijan

Terry Davis, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, has addressed the Azerbaijani authorities in connection with the arrest in Nakhichevan of Ilgar Nasibov, a journalist of Radio Liberty.

"I am highly concerned with the news from Azerbaijan that journalist Ilgar Nasibov was placed in custody on a slander case," runs the Secretary General's statement placed in an official website of the Council of Europe.

"My special concern is caused by the circumstances that according to available information the slander case is based on a private letter that was not intended for publication, that Mr Nasibov, most likely, is deprived of the appropriate legal procedure and that he, while being in custody at the police, was exposed to cruel treatment, Mr Davis has noted.

He has addressed his appeal to the Azerbaijani authorities asking to explain what has happened to Ilgar Nasibov. In his belief, slander should not be regarded to be a criminal offence, the statement notes.

Jose Luis Ansola, head of the Baku office of the OSCE, has also called to stop arrests of journalists in Azerbaijan for their professional activities, the IA "Trend" reports.