16:28, 5 June 2007

Journalists hold a protest action in Azerbaijan

Today a group of Azerbaijani journalists has held an action in front of the building of the Court for Grave Crimes in protest against non-admittance of independent and opposition media to the trial of Farkhad Aliev, ex-Minister for Economic Development. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports that employees of opposition mass media took part in the protest action. The journalists held newspapers and posters "Let us to the trial!" written in the Azerbaijani, Russian and English languages.

During the action, Tyurkai Gambarov, one of the journalists, was subject to violence by the police.

Let us note here that these events took place against the eyes of the employees of the US Embassy who were also forbidden from getting into the courtroom. However, despite the protests, the employees of opposition newspapers were not admitted to the trial (unlike the ones from pro-governmental editions who were freely let into the courtroom).

Author: Zaur Rasulzade, CK correspondent