Two jailed journalists allowed to attend funeral on President`s orders
Two jailed Azerbaijani journalists have been
temporarily released to attend the funeral of their deceased
father.
The two - Azadlig newspaper editor Ganimat Zahid, and his brother, writer for the publication, Mirza Sakit, traveled to the Meyseri village of the Shamakhy district for the funeral last Wednesday. They were taken to the funeral under the supervision of the employees of the Justice Ministry`s Penitentiary Service.
The journalists` father - Salim Zahidov - passed away on December 1. Their mother appealed to the justice minister the following day, requesting that her imprisoned sons attend the funeral. Permission was reportedly granted by President Ilham Aliyev.
Mirza Sakit had been sentenced to three and a half years imprisonment for possesion of drugs, while the Azadlig editor Ganimat Zahid - to four years on charges of hooliganism. International groups claim that the two journalists were jailed due to their critical writings.
The two - Azadlig newspaper editor Ganimat Zahid, and his brother, writer for the publication, Mirza Sakit, traveled to the Meyseri village of the Shamakhy district for the funeral last Wednesday. They were taken to the funeral under the supervision of the employees of the Justice Ministry`s Penitentiary Service.
The journalists` father - Salim Zahidov - passed away on December 1. Their mother appealed to the justice minister the following day, requesting that her imprisoned sons attend the funeral. Permission was reportedly granted by President Ilham Aliyev.
Mirza Sakit had been sentenced to three and a half years imprisonment for possesion of drugs, while the Azadlig editor Ganimat Zahid - to four years on charges of hooliganism. International groups claim that the two journalists were jailed due to their critical writings.
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