Azerbaijan: colleagues join imprisoned journalist in his hunger strike

Colleagues of imprisoned Einullah Fatullaev have joined his protest action with a demand to the authorities to enforce the decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) about his immediate release. Fatullaev went on his termless hunger strike on Tuesday, October 19.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, on October 20 the hunger strike was supported by Shakhveled Chobanoglu and Gunn Turaly, columnists of the "Azadlyg" newspaper, and Elchin Gasanov, an employee of the newspaper "Yukselish Namine" (In the name of Revival). They demand immediate release of Fatullaev.

Khanlar Gadjiev, the judge at the ECtHR from Azerbaijan, said in his interview to the Azerbaijani Service of Radio Liberty that "nobody, including the authorities of Azerbaijan, has any doubts that ECtHR's decision shall be enforced." According to his version, "the Court's decision is not subject to any comments."

However, Chingiz Askerov, Plenipotentiary Representative of Azerbaijan at the ECtHR, was not so categorical in his conversation with the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. "The decision of the ECtHR will be considered by the Plenum of the Azerbaijani Supreme Court Plenum," he said, while refraining from any comments on possible Plenum's decisions.

The office of the Plenum of the Supreme Court refrained from comments, saying only that the last sitting of the Plenum was held on October 8, and the next one will take place in "a month or two."

Today, Fatullaev's advocates have disseminated the journalist's public appeal to the Supreme Court, Ministry of Justice, international organizations and diplomatic missions in Baku.

"I demand my immediate release, and with this demand on October 19 I started my termless hunger strike, because I see no other way to protect my legitimate rights," his statement runs.