Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BAKU1482
2007-12-13 11:57:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Baku
Cable title:
PROMINENT JOURNALISTS CONTINUE HUNGER STRIKE TO
how-toVZCZCXRO0885 PP RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHKB #1482 3471157 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 131157Z DEC 07 FM AMEMBASSY BAKU TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4437 INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 2517 RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE PRIORITY 0775
UNCLAS BAKU 001482
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
BAKU 1398
BAKU 1359
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL KDEM AJ
SUBJECT: PROMINENT JOURNALISTS CONTINUE HUNGER STRIKE TO
PROTEST AZADLIQ EDITOR'S DETENTION
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION.
UNCLAS BAKU 001482
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
BAKU 1398
BAKU 1359
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL KDEM AJ
SUBJECT: PROMINENT JOURNALISTS CONTINUE HUNGER STRIKE TO
PROTEST AZADLIQ EDITOR'S DETENTION
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION.
1. (SBU) On December 13, Poloff visited the Yeni Musavat
newspaper office, where a number of prominent editors and
journalists have been staging a hunger strike to draw
attention to the case of detained opposition Azadliq
newspaper Editor-In-Chief Ganimat Zahid. Hunger strikers
include Yeni Musavat newspaper Editor-In-Chief Rauf Arifoglu
and correspondent Elshad Mammadli; Gundelik Azerbaijan
newspaper editor Uzeyir Jafarov and correspondent Habil
Valiyev; Realny Azerbaijan newspaper editor Shahvalad
Chobanoglu; and 24-Saat newspaper Editor-In-Chief
Faramazoglu. Yeni Musavat newspaper correspondent Aytan
Hasanova had participated in the hunger strike for three
days, but stopped when she began to feel sick. Arifoglu told
Poloff that he had not eaten for four days, and was beginning
to feel sick; he was contemplating ceasing the strike the
following day. The group said everyone was regularly
drinking water, and that all involved planned to stop if
their conditions became serious.
2. (SBU) The group explained that their hunger strike was not
intended to draw attention to them, but to Zahid, who has
been in pre-trial detention since November 10, when the
Yasamal district court ruled that Zahid would remain in
detention while charges of hooliganism and inflicting minor
bodily harm were investigated (reftels). Zahid reportedly
has been on hunger strike in detention for six days, and has
told the press that he will continue "to his death." The
group said that they were worried Zahid would take the action
too far, as he had previously staged a ten-day hunger strike
which reportedly left him in a critical state. They
requeted the Embassy's continued attention to Zahid's cse,
and to the media situation in general, which they said has
become "intolerable." We will continue to monitor the hunger
strike, and have requested GOAJ authorization to visit Zahid
in detention. We will report further developments.
DERSE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
BAKU 1398
BAKU 1359
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL KDEM AJ
SUBJECT: PROMINENT JOURNALISTS CONTINUE HUNGER STRIKE TO
PROTEST AZADLIQ EDITOR'S DETENTION
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION.
1. (SBU) On December 13, Poloff visited the Yeni Musavat
newspaper office, where a number of prominent editors and
journalists have been staging a hunger strike to draw
attention to the case of detained opposition Azadliq
newspaper Editor-In-Chief Ganimat Zahid. Hunger strikers
include Yeni Musavat newspaper Editor-In-Chief Rauf Arifoglu
and correspondent Elshad Mammadli; Gundelik Azerbaijan
newspaper editor Uzeyir Jafarov and correspondent Habil
Valiyev; Realny Azerbaijan newspaper editor Shahvalad
Chobanoglu; and 24-Saat newspaper Editor-In-Chief
Faramazoglu. Yeni Musavat newspaper correspondent Aytan
Hasanova had participated in the hunger strike for three
days, but stopped when she began to feel sick. Arifoglu told
Poloff that he had not eaten for four days, and was beginning
to feel sick; he was contemplating ceasing the strike the
following day. The group said everyone was regularly
drinking water, and that all involved planned to stop if
their conditions became serious.
2. (SBU) The group explained that their hunger strike was not
intended to draw attention to them, but to Zahid, who has
been in pre-trial detention since November 10, when the
Yasamal district court ruled that Zahid would remain in
detention while charges of hooliganism and inflicting minor
bodily harm were investigated (reftels). Zahid reportedly
has been on hunger strike in detention for six days, and has
told the press that he will continue "to his death." The
group said that they were worried Zahid would take the action
too far, as he had previously staged a ten-day hunger strike
which reportedly left him in a critical state. They
requeted the Embassy's continued attention to Zahid's cse,
and to the media situation in general, which they said has
become "intolerable." We will continue to monitor the hunger
strike, and have requested GOAJ authorization to visit Zahid
in detention. We will report further developments.
DERSE