Baku police disperse reporters' protest against Ganimat Zahid's arrest

Novosti-Azerbaijan reports from the site that the police took away the placards with Ganimat Zahid's portrait and slogans demanding to release editor-in-chief of Azadlyg newspaper  from the protest participants.

The police officers explained that the protest has been been sanctioned and therefore is not allowed.

During the protest, reporters of Bizim yol newspaper Natik Javadli, Elchin Rustamli and activist of "Young Turks" organization Abulfaz Garayev were detained by police officers.

Seeing that law enforcement bodies did not allow reporters to hold the protest, Denis Bribosia, head of the CoE Baku office invited the protest representatives for a meeting. The meeting was attended by editor-in-chief of the Yeni Musavat newspaper Rauf Arifoglu, director of Azadlyg newspaper Azer Akhmedov and head of the Turan news agency Mehman Aliyev.

During the meeting Bribosia told reporters that the Council of Europe has always supported freedom of speech and press.

"The Council of Europe is concerned with the situation established in Azerbaijan in this sphere", he said promising to inform the CoE secretary general about the meeting.

Editor-in-chief of the Azadlyg newspaper Ganimat Zahid was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment by a decision of Yasamal district court on March 4.

Zahidov is charged under articles 127 "Deliberate causing of harm to health" and 221 "Hooliganism" of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan. The criminal case was instituted against him due to the incident which occurred near the building of the "Azerbaijan" publishing house with participation of Zahidov, Gasanov and Sevgilade Guliyeva on November 7.