Picket for jailed Azeri journalists held in Moscow

The independent human right organization "Amnesty International" held on 3 June a picket outside the Azerbaijani embassy in Moscow. Picketers demanded the release of a jailed Azeri journalist Eynulla Fatullayev.

As explained by the spokeswoman of the Moscow branch of International Amnesty Natalia Sergeeva, protesters demand to enforce immediately the decision of the European Court of Human Rights, which ruled that the journalist had been wrongfully imprisoned and called the Azerbaijani authorities for his immediate release.

In addition, the picket was dedicated to support of bloggers-activists arrested in Azerbaijan in 2009: Adan Hajizadeh and Emin Milli, who posted stories with critics of the Azerbaijani government in their blogs.

About dozens persons participated in the picket. The Embassy personnel were viewing the happenings through the windows and asked pressmen through security officers not to take photos of them.

Sergeeva handed to the Embassy office the material from "International Amnesty" on freedom of speech in Azerbaijan. The documents were taken with a promise to examine them. She stressed that independent journalists in this country are in constant physical intimidation.

The citizens of Azerbaijan who came to the embassy on personal issues displayed no interest in the action of protest.