AZERBAIJANI NATIONAL SECURITY MINISTRY SEARCHES GUNDALIK AZERBAIJAN AND REALNIY AZERBAIJAN NEWSPAPERS EDITORIAL OFFICES

Trend News Agency, Azerbaijan
May 22 2007

Azerbaijan, Baku / Trend corr. K.Zarbaliyeva / The National Security
Ministry of Azerbaijan (NSM) searched the editorial offices of the
newspapers Gundalik Azerbaijan and Realniy Azerbaijan.

Arif Babayev, the National Security Minister, stated that a criminal
case had been filed at the Central Investigation Department of NSM
with regards to the editors of the newspapers in compliance with
Article 214 (terror threat) of the Criminal Code.

Shahvalad Chobanoglu, the editor-in-chief of the Gundalik Azerbaijan
newspaper, reported to correspondents that a search was being carried
out by ten people at the decision of the Yasamal District Court.

The editors of several newspapers, human rights activists and
journalists gathered in front of the editorial office.

Fatullayev, charged with offending the Hojaly people in his newspaper
article ‘Karabakh Diary’ was detained at an appeal brought by Tatiana
Chaladzeh, the manager of the Centre for Protection of Refugees and
Displaced Persons, and was sentenced to two years and six months in
prison at the decision of the Yasamal District Court.

The editor-in-chief contends that the article displayed the opinion
of the interlocutor.

In compliance with the decision of the Yasamal District Court,
Fatullayev will have to pay an AZN 20,000 fine.