AI calls Azeri authorities to protect Fatullaev and his relatives

The Amnesty International (AI) has addressed the authorities of Azerbaijan in the context of threats received by the family of convicted journalist, editor-in-chief of the newspaper "Real Azerbaijan" Einullah Fatullaev.

As reported in the AI's press release that arrived to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, on March 17 Emin Fatullaev, the journalist's father, received an anonymous telephone call threatening to kill him and his son if he does not stop his statements.

This is not the first telephone threat received by Fatullaev's family after the journalist had stated involvement of the authorities in murder of his colleague Elmar Guseinov in March 2005.

The AI believes that the charges, under which Einullah Fatullaev was convicted in 2007, were fabricated. Soon the European Court on Human Rights (ECtHR) was to consider the journalist's appeal; however, recently a provocation was staged against Fatullaev, as human rights activists note. In prison, heroin was found in his things, and a new criminal case was opened against him. His relatives and friends are sure that it was made deliberately not to admit his release under decision of the European Court.

The AI has called the international community to demand from President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliev, Head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) and the Ombudsman of Azerbaijan to ensure safety of the journalist and members of his family.

Emin Fatullaev said in his conversation with the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that on March 17, at about 12:30 a.m., an unidentified person made a call to their home telephone and, after swearing, pronounced threats that if Einullah did not stop accusing authorities of murdering journalist Elmar Guseinov, he would be murdered.

"He also began threatening to execute me if I don't stop supporting my son," Emin Fatullaev continued.

After the incident he called to the on duty police service at 102. They advised him to call police station No. 26 of the Yasamal District. "It is near our house, and I decided to go straight there. They took my application and promised to call back; however, 8 days passed and there's no result. Although I think it's quite easy for the police to establish the telephone, from which we had received that call," said Fatullaev-senior.

The on duty officer at police station No. 26 refused to answer any questions related to the application of the convicted journalist's father, saying that only the MIA's press service is competent to give comments to media. However, because of days off in Azerbaijan on the occasion of the Novruz spring holiday, there was nobody at the press service to lift the receiver.