RWB urges Azerbaijan to release Faig Amirov

The international organization to protect journalists "Reporters without Borders" (RWB) has condemned the arrest of the financial director of the leading opposition newspaper "Azadlyg" and called on to remove "ridiculous charges" filed against him.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Faig Amirov, the assistant chairman of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), was detained on August 20. He was charged with inciting religious hatred and violation of the rights of citizens under the pretext of performing religious rites. According to investigators, at the Faig Amirov's place, law enforcers found books related to Turkish preacher Fethullah Gülen. The defence insists that these books have not been banned in Azerbaijan and contain nothing illegal.

According to the RWB, the Azerbaijani authorities have decided to adopt the practice of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has been fighting against his critics under the guise of struggling against supporters of Fethullah Gülen.

The authors of the RWB's appeal believe that the release of several political prisoners last spring was a tactical concession to the Azerbaijani authorities.

It is also noted that in 2016, Azerbaijan ranks the 163rd out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index.

Meanwhile, the newspaper "Azadlyg" claims that its activities are jeopardized.

According to Agil Laidzhev, an advocate of Faig Amirov, the defence has appealed against the arrest.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.