Miklos Haraszti: "I call on the authorities of Azerbaijan to stop fabricating cases against journalists, criticizing them"

The due announcement was made by Miklos Haraszti, OSCE representative on freedom of press at a press conference today.

Haraszti announced that these include imprisonment of Eynulla Fatullayev, accused of terrorism, Mirza Sakit, charged with storing and use of drugs and Ganimat Zahid, accused of hooliganism.

According to Haraszti, another variant of pressure on reporters is a campaign, held against Azadlyg newspaper correspondent Agil Halil. "I call on the Azerbaijani authorities to stop fabricating cases against journalists, criticizing them", Haraszti announced.

At the same time, the OSCE representative noted that though 3 years have passed since Elmar Huseynov's murders, the people, responsible for the crime, have not been found yet.

"In fact, the police and prosecutor's office must protect journalists. Moreover, I ask President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to pardon the imprisoned reporters regardless of whether they addressed to him or no. I would also like to thank the President for pardoning most imprisoned journalists", said he.

At the same time Haraszti noted that Azerbaijan occupied the first place among the OSCE states before the recent pardoning decree, signed by President of Azerbaijan.

Haraszti noted that it is time to envision civil punishment for libel.

/Day.Az/