Norway condemns paper editor’s sentencing
The Norwegian embassy in Azerbaijan has condemned the sentencing of
a jailed newspaper editor to a jail term on new charges.
The embassy said in a statement that it was disappointed with the ruling of a Baku court on Tuesday that convicted Eynulla Fatullayev to two and a half years imprisonment on drug possession charges. The diplomatic mission said that it was instead expecting the enforcement of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling issued in April calling for Fatullayev’s immediate release. The embassy called upon Azerbaijani authorities to comply with the ruling.
Fatullayev was found in possession of heroin in his jail cell last December. He claimed the drugs had been planted.
The editor-in-chief of the Russian-language weekly Realny Azerbaijan and Azerbaijani-language daily Gundalik Azerbaijan was sentenced in 2007 to eight-and-a-half years in prison on charges on defamation, incitement of ethnic hatred, threatening with terror and tax evasion. The ECHR claimed Fatullayev’s rights had been violated, while the authorities said they would appeal its ruling.
The Norwegian embassy’s statement claimed that the newspaper editor’s arrest represents an obstacle for Azerbaijan’s integration into Europe and the Euro-Atlantic community.
"The Norwegian embassy believes it is time for Azerbaijan to take a successful step toward the future, and Fatullayev’s ongoing detention could only harm Azerbaijan in this regard."
The embassy pointed out that it is crucial for Azerbaijan to advance in the areas of democracy and human rights ahead of the November parliamentary elections, and that progress could give an impetus to the future development of Norway-Azerbaijan relations.*
The embassy said in a statement that it was disappointed with the ruling of a Baku court on Tuesday that convicted Eynulla Fatullayev to two and a half years imprisonment on drug possession charges. The diplomatic mission said that it was instead expecting the enforcement of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling issued in April calling for Fatullayev’s immediate release. The embassy called upon Azerbaijani authorities to comply with the ruling.
Fatullayev was found in possession of heroin in his jail cell last December. He claimed the drugs had been planted.
The editor-in-chief of the Russian-language weekly Realny Azerbaijan and Azerbaijani-language daily Gundalik Azerbaijan was sentenced in 2007 to eight-and-a-half years in prison on charges on defamation, incitement of ethnic hatred, threatening with terror and tax evasion. The ECHR claimed Fatullayev’s rights had been violated, while the authorities said they would appeal its ruling.
The Norwegian embassy’s statement claimed that the newspaper editor’s arrest represents an obstacle for Azerbaijan’s integration into Europe and the Euro-Atlantic community.
"The Norwegian embassy believes it is time for Azerbaijan to take a successful step toward the future, and Fatullayev’s ongoing detention could only harm Azerbaijan in this regard."
The embassy pointed out that it is crucial for Azerbaijan to advance in the areas of democracy and human rights ahead of the November parliamentary elections, and that progress could give an impetus to the future development of Norway-Azerbaijan relations.*
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