Jailed journalists may be pardoned soon
The journalists imprisoned in Azerbaijan may be pardoned soon, the
President's Office Chief-of-Staff Ramiz Mehdiyev said.
Mehdiyev told reporters on Monday that it was the president's prerogative to issue an amnesty. "I am confident that based on the principles of humanism, the head of state will again look into the pardon issue."
The chief-of-staff said the presidential decree on pardon would not be issued only for journalists but did not rule out that they would be among those to be pardoned.
Mehdiyev reiterated the government's assurances that the journalists had been jailed for committing crimes but not for their work.
International rights groups charge that freedom of speech is not properly protected in Azerbaijan and demand that all the nine journalists imprisoned in the country be immediately released.
Mehdiyev told reporters on Monday that it was the president's prerogative to issue an amnesty. "I am confident that based on the principles of humanism, the head of state will again look into the pardon issue."
The chief-of-staff said the presidential decree on pardon would not be issued only for journalists but did not rule out that they would be among those to be pardoned.
Mehdiyev reiterated the government's assurances that the journalists had been jailed for committing crimes but not for their work.
International rights groups charge that freedom of speech is not properly protected in Azerbaijan and demand that all the nine journalists imprisoned in the country be immediately released.
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