14:16, 7 March 2008

Advocates of the journalist convicted in Azerbaijan want to address the European Court

Advocates of journalist Ganimat Zakhidov, who was convicted today in Azerbaijan, have treated the sentence passed on him and the conditions, in which it was announced, to be "blatant injustice"; now they intend to achieve consideration of the journalist's case at the European Court for Human Rights.

"It's a blatant injustice, and we are ready to appeal against the verdict," Elchin Sadykhov, the journalist's defender, said in his comment on the verdict to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. The court has sentenced G. Zakhidov to four years of imprisonment.

We remind you that today the Yasamal District Court of Baku has sentenced Ganimat Zakhidov, editor-in-chief of the Azerbaijani oppositional newspaper "Azadlyg" (Freedom), to four years of deprivation of freedom on charges of "hooliganism and causing damage to the health of a human."

Let us note here that the trial of Zakhidov was held in the closed regime: human rights activists, mass media and representatives of the Embassies were left behind the door of the courtroom.

Author: Rafael Gasanov, CK correspondent