OSCE Representative on Media Freedom Miklos Haraszti, his advisor Anna Karlsreiter, OSCE Baku Office Deputy Chairman Alexis Shahtakhtinski, OSCE Baku Office Human Rights Department Head Andres Bush and Chairman of the Committee Against Torture Elchin Behbudov visited two imprisoned journalists.
They met with “Azadlig” Newspaper Editor-in-Chief Ganimat Zahid in Bayil Prison #1 and “Azadlig” Newspaper satiric/journalist Sakit Zahidov in Prison #14. Elchin Behbudov told the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety, “We talked to both of the journalists for more than an hour. I think, both of them were satisfied with the conversation.” However, Behbudov said that he couldn’t reveal what they discussed during the meetings.
“Azadlig” newspaper director Azer Ahmadov also told IRFS that he met with Miklos Haraszti yesterday. “After the footage about our employee Agil Khalil was broadcast on TV channels yesterday evening, Haraszti called me and we met,” said Ahmedov. “This was an informal meeting. We exchanged our opinions about journalism in Azerbaijan, morals in journalism and TV channels. I was surprised that he was well informed about that attacks that have occurred against “Azadlig” newspaper up to this date. Mr. Haraszti knows more than we can imagine about the beating and stabbing of our employee Agil Khalil, and the progress of the investigation.”