Azerbaijan, Baku, April 8 / Trend , K. Zarbaliyeva/
Azerbaijani Press Council does not agree with the arrest of the Tazadlar newspaper editor-in-chief's arrest and has appealed President Ilham Aliyev.
The court could punish editor-in-chief Asif Marzali in a different way, the Press Council told Trend .
"The court could impose less grave punishment for the journalist. Because some forces use the arrest of journalists to harm country's international image. The cases of journalists are examined in a civil order in world experience," the council said.
A chief editor of Tazadla" (Contradictions) newspaper was arrested upon the decision of Baku Yasamal District Court on April 7.
The Azerbaijan International University (AIU) Rector Elshad Abdullayev, AIU First Pro-rector Huseyn Ahmadov, ABU Teacher Eldaniz Abdullayev and Baku City Taxes Department Inspector Islam Abdullayev filed a lawsuit on Chief Editor Asif Marzili and newspaper employee Zumrud Mammadova to protect their honor and dignity
The court sentenced Marzili to one-year imprisonment and involved Mammadova to community work for 6 months.
Plaintiffs demanded from the court to arrest the responsible persons due to articles about false facts about the AIU rector and his university, as well as about AIU Chair Head Mahir Abdullayev who was missing in 2003 under unknown conditions.
The Press Council asks the court to change the sentence given journalist's family conditions.
At present three journalists are at the prison in Azerbaijan. Two of them are editor-in-chiefs.
Do you have any feedback? Contact our journalist at: trend@trend.
