AI says charges against Iranian reporter arrested in Baku “fabricated”

PanARMENIAN.Net - Amnesty International said the charges leveled against a detained reporter working for the Iranian television in Azerbaijan are "fabricated", and asked the Baku government to release the journalist, Fars News Agency reported.

“Amnesty International believes the charges against Anar Bayramli were fabricated in retaliation for his work as a reporter. Sahar TV is known for its critical reporting on sensitive political, social and religious issues in Azerbaijan and had recently been criticized by the Azerbaijani authorities for deliberately seeking to destabilize the country. Reports by Bayramli shortly before his arrest touched upon especially sensitive issues such as government's treatment of conservative Shiite Muslim groups and the closure of the mosques,” the group said in a statement.

“The timing of his arrest also coincides with a crackdown on Shiite Muslims and Iranian sympathizers. Reportedly, from January to February, approximately 25 residents of a religious community in Nardaran were arrested on a range of charges varying from hooliganism and drugs possession to treason. Amnesty International has documented similar cases where drugs have been "found" on critics of the government, such as Eynulla Fatullayev and Sakit Zahidov and opposition youth activist Jabbar Savalan, all of whom Amnesty International considered to be the prisoners of conscience, imprisoned solely for peaceful exercise of their freedom of expression.”