Azerbaijan: Fifty Fatullayevs protest the continued detention of Azerbaijani journalist

A crowd of 50 people gathered opposite the Azerbaijan embassy in London in the lunchtime sunshine yesterday, Wednesday 20 April, for a demonstration organised by English PEN, Amnesty International UK, ARTICLE 19, Index on Censorship and the Media Diversity Institute. The purpose of the demonstration was to mark four years since the arrest of Azerbaijani journalist Eynulla Fatullayev and to call for his immediate and unconditional release of imprisoned.

For an hour, demonstrators, wearing masks bearing a photograph of Eynulla Fatullayev’s face, faced the embassy and sent their message loud and clear, calling in both English and Azerbaijani calling for freedom for Eynulla Fatullayev, and greater freedom of expression in Azerbaijan.

Shortly before 2pm a delegation – Robert Sharp, English PEN; Ruth Dawson, AIUK; Rebecca Vincent, ARTICLE 19; Natasha Schmidt, Index on Censorship; and Pedja Urosevic, Media Diversity Institute – handed a letter in to the embassy, signed by the five organisations, calling for Eynulla Fatullayev to be immediately and unconditionally released.

Protests were also held in Paris, and in Azerbaijan itself, where a group of Azerbaijani journalists held a symbolic fast in Baku to mark the fourth anniversary of the imprisonment of journalist Eynulla Fatullayev.

To see English PEN’s video of the demonstration, please click here.

To see photos of the demonstration, please click here.

Many thanks to all those who participated in the demonstration. Please continue to take action on behalf of Eynulla Fatullayev.