International organizations condemn arrests of journalists in Azerbaijan

The Baku OSCE office and the OSCE Representative for the freedom of mass media have expressed their deep concern with the new facts of criminal prosecution of journalists in Azerbaijan. The statement circulated by the Baku OSCE office points to the decision of the Narimanovskiy Court of Baku dated January 30, which had sentenced Faramaz Novruzoglu and Sardar Alibeili, journalist and editor of the "Nota Bene" newspaper to 2 and 1.5 years of imprisonment, respectively in response to the suits lodged by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Committee for Working with the Diaspora. It looks like the two-year old appeal of the president to officials not to suit journalists has remained unnoticed, Robin Seaword, acting head of the Baku OSCE office, said.

The International Committee for Protection of Journalists has also expressed protest on the occasion of journalists' arrest.

The suits against the newspaper and the author of the article were filed by R. Usubov, head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and Nazim Ibragimov, minister for working with the Diaspora. The pretext for the suits was the publications: "Crusade of "Grey Cardinal" on Nakhichevan" and "New Slander Campaign of Ramil Usubov" in December issues of the newspaper.