Action Alert: React NOW!

From the Committee to Defend the Rights of Imprisoned Satiric/Journalist Sakit Zahidov To the Diplomatic Corps in Azerbaijan, the Council of Europe, the European Union, International Human Rights and Media Freedom Organizations, NGOs, and citizens of the world 27 September 2006 Baku, Azerbaijan

A P P E A L

Respected Members of the Diplomatic Corps, the Council of Europe, the European Union, Human Rights and Media Freedom Organizations, NGOs, and citizens of the world, ONE DAY TO PREVENT AN INNOCENT JOURNALIST FROM BEING IMPRISONED! Tomorrow at 3 p.m. Baku local time, Grave Crimes Court Judge Azer Orujov will hand down the verdict in a politically-motivated criminal drug case against revered Azerbaijani satirical journalist Sakit Zahidov. The local and international community has one last chance to express its concern about the completely groundless case against Zahidov, prevent his conviction and call for his release. INNOCENT JOURNALIST FRAMED AND IMPRISONED! Zahidov has been in police custody since he was arrested on 23 June 2006 and was initially charged with possession of a large amount of drugs with intent to resell it. On the day of Zahidov's arrest, 10 grams of heroine was found in Zahidov's pocket while he was being searched in the police station. However, Zahidov has always maintained that the illegal substance was planted on him by police and that he neither uses, nor deals drugs. In a small break during the last court hearing, the prosecution changed the drug dealing charge against Zahidov to a drug use charge, as they were unable to provide any evidence that Zahidov dealt drugs. However, there is also no evidence to back up the drug use charge. Police admitted in court that an "express" urine drug test given to Zahidov on the day of his arrest came back clean. And doctors called to testify in court denied ever performing a drug test on Zahidov. According to them, statements they wrote in medical documents that Zahidov was a drug user, were based only subjective, visual assessments. Zahidov`s lawyer has said a blood sample taken from Zahidov, which according to the authorities showed traces of illicit substances, was in fact used to carry out an HIV test. The prosecution has asked the court to sentence Sakit Zahidov to three years of imprisonment. While this is a welcome change from the 12 years of imprisonment the prosecution was initially seeking in it drug dealing case against Zahidov, it remains absurd, since Zahidov is NOT a drug dealer, NOT a drug user and certainly NOT a drug abuser. SEND APPEALS TO AZERBAIJAN'S AUTHORITIES BY SEPT. 28, 3 P.M. BAKU LOCAL TIME! The international community must unite and put pressure on Azerbaijan's government and authorities to prevent this innocent father of five and sufferer of chronic heart problems from wasting away in prison for three years for no reason. We, the Committee to Defend the Rights of Imprisoned Satiric/Journalist Sakit Zahidov, appeal to you. We ask that you write appeals to the presidential administration of Azerbaijan at office@apparat.gov.az before 3 p.m. Baku local time, tomorrow (Sept. 28), and call for Azerbaijan's leadership to encourage the country's judicial system to hand down a fair and objective verdict in Sakit Zahidov's case, so this innocent man can be freed. On behalf of the Committee to Defend the Rights of Sakit Zahidov Committee Chairperson Emin Huseynov Committee to Defend the Rights of Imprisoned Satiric/Journalist Sakit Zahidov (Mirza Sakit) Address: 33 Khagani St., Baku Azerbaijan, Tеl: (+99 412) 418-03-34, E-mail: irfs.az@gmail.com