Imprisoned “Azadlig” Newspaper Editor-in-Chief Ganimat Zahid and his brother imprisoned “Azadlig” Newspaper satiric/journalist Sakit Zahidov, who were release from prison for seven days to participate in memorial services for their were sent back to their respective prisons yesterday (8 December) evening, at 6 p.m.
The Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety was told this by the journalists’ spouses Ayanda Murselaliyeva and Rena Zahidova.
Murselaliyeva and Zahidova expressed their gratitude to all people and organizations who helped to facilitate the participation of their husbands in the memorial services for the journalists’ father.
Ganimat Zahid’s lawyer Elchin Sadigov told IRFS, “It is shown in the law the people who are in general regime prisoner have this right. These prisoners are not a danger to society.” According to Sadigov, both G. Zahid and S. Zahidov were supervised during their six days of freedom (from the night of 2 December to 8 December), however this was not even necessary. “Ganimat and Sakit were supervised by employees from the Justice Ministry’s Penitentiary Service, but this in itself is a law violation.”
Ganimat Zahid and Sakit Zahidov’s father Salim Zahidov died in the evening on 1 December. After the brothers’ mother Hadija Zahidov, and countless human rights activists, sent a telegram to the Justice Ministry, G. Zahid and S. Zahidov were temporarily released on the night of 2 December.
Ganimat Zahid has been in prison since November 2007 and is serving a four-year prison sentence in Prison #17. Sakit Zahidov has been in prison since June 2006 and is currently serving a three-year prison sentence in Prison #10. Both are internationally recognized as political prisoners.