Foreign Minister Støre welcomes Azerbaijani newspaper editor’s release

“It was high time the prominent Azerbaijani newspaper editor Eynulla Fatullayev was released. This is very good news,” said Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. “Mr Fatullayev has been imprisoned since 2007, and in 2010 the European Court of Human Rights ruled that he should be released.”

Azerbaijan has been heavily criticised for keeping Mr Fatullayev imprisoned and for failing to comply with the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights.

“I am very pleased that in pardoning Mr Fatullayev, Azerbaijan has taken an important step towards complying with the Court’s ruling. We have long been concerned about the human rights situation in Azerbaijan and have raised this issue on a number of occasions. We have also taken up Mr Fatullayev’s case,” said Mr Støre.

“I hope Mr Fatullayev’s release will be accompanied by similar progress in other cases, and that the situation as regards freedom of expression in the country will improve,” said Mr Støre.