Azerbaijani Court Jails Journalist

Eynulla Fatullayev (file photo) (RFE/RL) BAKU, April 20, 2007 (RFE/RL) -- A court in Baku has sentenced an Azerbaijani journalist to more than two years in prison for articles deemed insulting to refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh, RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service reported.

A judge sentenced Einulla Fatullayev, editor of the newspaper "Realniy Azerbaijan," to 30 months in jail. After the judge read the verdict, police handcuffed Fatullayev and took him to jail.

"Realniy Azerbaijan" is known for its criticism of President Ilham Aliyev and his government. Fatullayev has said the case is politically motivated.

Local press-advocacy groups have described the case as an attempt to pressure independent media in Azerbaijan.

Fatullayev founded "Realniy Azerbaijan" in May 2005 after the newspaper he worked for, "The Monitor," closed down following the murder of its editor in chief, Elmar Huseynov, in March of that year.