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AI says charges against Iranian reporter arrested in Baku `fabricated'
May 5, 2012 - 13:16 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Amnesty International said the charges leveled
against a detained reporter working for the Iranian television in
Azerbaijan are "fabricated", and asked the Baku government to release
the journalist, Fars News Agency reported.
`Amnesty International believes the charges against Anar Bayramli were
fabricated in retaliation for his work as a reporter. Sahar TV is
known for its critical reporting on sensitive political, social and
religious issues in Azerbaijan and had recently been criticized by the
Azerbaijani authorities for deliberately seeking to destabilize the
country. Reports by Bayramli shortly before his arrest touched upon
especially sensitive issues such as government's treatment of
conservative Shiite Muslim groups and the closure of the mosques,' the
group said in a statement.
`The timing of his arrest also coincides with a crackdown on Shiite
Muslims and Iranian sympathizers. Reportedly, from January to
February, approximately 25 residents of a religious community in
Nardaran were arrested on a range of charges varying from hooliganism
and drugs possession to treason. Amnesty International has documented
similar cases where drugs have been "found" on critics of the
government, such as Eynulla Fatullayev and Sakit Zahidov and
opposition youth activist Jabbar Savalan, all of whom Amnesty
International considered to be the prisoners of conscience, imprisoned
solely for peaceful exercise of their freedom of expression.'
May 5, 2012 - 13:16 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - Amnesty International said the charges leveled
against a detained reporter working for the Iranian television in
Azerbaijan are "fabricated", and asked the Baku government to release
the journalist, Fars News Agency reported.
`Amnesty International believes the charges against Anar Bayramli were
fabricated in retaliation for his work as a reporter. Sahar TV is
known for its critical reporting on sensitive political, social and
religious issues in Azerbaijan and had recently been criticized by the
Azerbaijani authorities for deliberately seeking to destabilize the
country. Reports by Bayramli shortly before his arrest touched upon
especially sensitive issues such as government's treatment of
conservative Shiite Muslim groups and the closure of the mosques,' the
group said in a statement.
`The timing of his arrest also coincides with a crackdown on Shiite
Muslims and Iranian sympathizers. Reportedly, from January to
February, approximately 25 residents of a religious community in
Nardaran were arrested on a range of charges varying from hooliganism
and drugs possession to treason. Amnesty International has documented
similar cases where drugs have been "found" on critics of the
government, such as Eynulla Fatullayev and Sakit Zahidov and
opposition youth activist Jabbar Savalan, all of whom Amnesty
International considered to be the prisoners of conscience, imprisoned
solely for peaceful exercise of their freedom of expression.'