A committee to defend the rights of arrested opposition journalist has been formed in Azerbaijan

A committee to defend the rights of arrested Sakit Zakhidov, an opposition satirist journalist, was formed at today's sitting of the Council of Editors and representatives of journalist and human rights organizations of Azerbaijan. The participants expressed a common opinion that the arrest had been politically motivated and instigated.

Ganimat Zakhid, chief editor of the "Azadlyg" newspaper and brother of the arrestee, said that, in the course of the court hearing, Sakit Zakhidov had declared that the drugs had been planted on him at the moment of the arrest, while the arrest had been inspired by his satire addressed to the authorities. He had stated the same during the interrogation at the police station.

For reference, the journalist was arrested on June 23 evening by officers of the Department on fighting drug business under the MIA. He was charged with keeping 10 g of heroin. On the next day, the Nasimin district court chaired by Judge Famil Nasibov adopted the ruling on putting Sakit Zakhidov under arrest for 3 months. Notably, Sakit Zakhidov is widely known for his satirical pamphlets on the authorities. For a long time he had been laughing at state functionaries, deputies and religious figures in the newspaper.