31 August 2007, 10:41
Azerbaijan: one of convicted journalists is at death's door
The health condition of Azerbaijani prisoner Faramaz Allakhverdiev, an employee of the "Nota Bene" newspaper, continues to aggravate. His brother, editor-in-chief of this newspaper Gurban Allakhverdiev, has informed the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent about it. He added that the treatment in the conditions of the prison hospital, where his brother is now kept, gives no effect, and the patient has lost 40 kg of his body weight - from 93 to 50 kg. Gurban Allakhverdiev has also complained of the bosses of the Ministry of Justice who would not let him meet his brother who, in Gurban's opinion, is close to death.
In their turn, the "Reporters without Borders" have expressed today their concern of Faramaz Allakhverdiev's state of health. "The authorities shall immediately release him because of his health problems," runs the press release of this organization.
We remind you that Faramaz Allakhverdiev was sentenced to 2.5 years of imprisonment for slander and insult of the Minister of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan and the Chairman of the State Committee for Working with Azerbaijanis Living Abroad. He is on the list of seven journalists whose release is demanded by the Azerbaijani and international community.
Author: Zaur Rasulzade, CK correspondent
