Today, 19 December, the defense lawyer Isakhan Ashurov appealed to the Narimanov District Court asking for the early release of “Azadlig” Newspaper satiric/journalist Sakit Zahidov. The Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety was told this by Ashurov.
According to Ashurov, every prisoner who has already served most of his prison term has a right by law to appeal to the court to be freed early.
Sakit Zahidov was sentenced to three years of imprisonment by the Grave Crimes Court. On 23 June 2006, he was arrested for possession of narcotic. He has six months left in his prison term. The charges against Zahidov are recognized internationally as spurious.