OSCE media representative welcomes release of Azerbaijani social media activist

VIENNA, 27 December 2011 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatović, welcomed today the pardoning of Facebook activist Jabbar Savalan in Azerbaijan.

“I welcome President Ilham Aliyev’s decision to pardon Savalan, which I see as encouraging for freedom of expression in Azerbaijan,” Mijatović said. “It is important that governments all over the OSCE region respect open public debate in line with their OSCE media freedom commitments.”

Savalan was arrested in February and sentenced in May to two-and-a-half years in jail; he was released on 26 December following the presidential pardon.

“I hope that the charges brought against Savalan will be dropped,” Mijatović said. She also expressed hope that blogger Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, who had also been convicted earlier this year, would be released soon.