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International organization Index on Censorship made a statement where it condemned the arrest of the Azerbaijani oppositionist journalist, columnist of Azadlig newspaper Seymur Hezi. It called on the Azerbaijani authorities to release all the human rights activists immediately. The statement can be found in the site of the above mentioned organization.

The article notes that Police and prosecutors in the Absheron district has arrested the Azerbaijani oppositionist journalist, columnist of Azadlig newspaper Seymur Hezi for 2 months. The journalist is charged with disorderly conduct. Hezi’s arrest is the result of a planned provocation for publishing critical articles on the authorities in the newspaper, his colleagues and advocate believe.

“The arrest of Seymur Hezi has been a part of the campaign for purposeful depression of free expression of opinion and media freedom in the country. It also demonstrates the authoritarian nature of the authorities of Azerbaijan,” the statement reads.

The same charges were used to imprison critical journalists Sardar Alibeili and Ganimat Zahid as well as bloggers Emin Milli and Adnan Hajizadeh, the article reads. “Hezi’s arrest is the result of a planned provocation and the journalist is prosecuted for publishing critical articles on the authorities in the newspaper, as well as in his online TV program “Azerbaijani Hour”, which he scripts and hosts,” stated Rahim Haciyev, acting editor of Azadliq newspaper.

The article also mentions about Rasul Jafarov, Intigam Aliyev, Leyla Yunus and her husband Arif Yunus.

“The criminal case against Hezi is fabricated. The police have not reasoned his arrest. Thus the judge has also accepted ungrounded decisions,” the article of IWPR reads.