Rights defenders and journalists demand from President of Azerbaijan to release journalist Fatullaev

In the evening on June 3, in front of Azerbaijani embassies in London and Moscow human rights activists held their actions with a demand to release journalist Einullah Fatullaev from his imprisonment. In Azerbaijan, heads of mass media voiced a similar demand.

In London, the action with about 60 participants lasted for about an hour. The protesters scanned slogans in the English and Azerbaijani languages demanding to free the journalist.

The action was organized by the following human rights organizations: the Amnesty International, Article 19, English PEN and Index on Censorship, which demand Mr Fatullaev's immediate and unconditional release.

Four human rights activists handed over a letter to the embassy of Azerbaijan. It was signed by the leaders of the above organizations and 80 well-known public figures, the following famous writers among them: Monica Ali, Alan Aykboum, William Boyd and Philip Pullman. The authors of the letter asked to convey their concern about Fatullaev's case to the authorities of Azerbaijan.

The embassy official who took the letter said that the ambassador would deliver the document to the authorities of the country. A similar protest action was held on June 3 in front of the Azerbaijani embassy in Moscow.

Meanwhile, a group of editors-in-chief of a number of mass media addressed, following Fatullaev's request, to President Ilham Aliev asking him to receive them. Their appeal reiterates Einullah Fatullaev's opinion that the President was just unaware of the decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) of April 22 about his immediate release, and the journalist's desire to know Ilham Aliev's attitude to his case.

In case the President had not been informed about the ECtHR's decision, Fatullaev would stop his hunger strike that he announced on June 2. For discussing all these issues the editors asked Ilham Aliev to receive them.

At the same time they addressed Fuad Aleskerov, head of the division of the President's administration for work with law enforcement bodies asking him to explain the reasons of non-fulfilment of the decision of the Strasbourg Court.

However, the press-service of the President of Azerbaijan refused to give any comments on the appeals of the heads of mass media and the IRFS (Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety).

Mekhman Sadygov, head of the public relations (PR) division of the Penitentiary Service, said that prisoner Fatullaev had not addressed the managers of the Baku SIZO (pre-trial prison), where he is now kept, on the occasion of his hunger strike.