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from prison on completion of his imprisonment sentence. He remainsunder probationary detention for two more years.PHAM Minh Hoang: (aka Blogger Phan Kien Quoc): Universityprofessor and blogger, was arrested on 13 August 2010, and sentencedto three years in prison, reduced to 17 months. He was convictedunder Article 79 of the Criminal Code for ‘attempting to overthrow thegovernment’ in his critical online writings. The judge at the trial statedthat Pham’s articles had ‘blackened the image of the country’. Alsothought to have been charged for his alleged affiliation to Viet Tan, aUS-based Vietnam Reform Party which is not known to use violence toachieve change. He has dual French and Vietnamese nationalities. On13 January 2012 Pham was released from prison on the expiry of hissentence. Case closed.TRUONG Minh Duc: Freelance journalist and political activist, memberof Bloc 8406 and the Vietnamese Populist party. He was arrested on 5May 2007 and sentenced to five years in prison for ‘taking advantageof democratic rights to act against the state’s interest’ and ‘receivingmoney from abroad to support complaints against the state’, under Article258 on the Criminal Code. Duc is known for his articles on corruptionand abuse of power since 1994 for various newspapers, under differentpseudonyms. On 6 May 2012 Truong Minh Duc was released from prisonon expiry of his sentence.EUROPE andCentral AsiaARMENIAImprisoned - InvestigationMurad BODJOLYAN: d.o.b. c. 1947. Former diplomat and journalist.Arrested January 2002. Trial details: Trial started on 24 October 2002under Article 59 of the Criminal Code (treason). Subsequently convictedto ten years in prison on 16 December 2002. Accused of passing onmilitary and economic information to the Turkish military intelligence,as well as details of Kurdish Workers Party exiles in Armenia. Lawyersargue there is little evidence and suggest that his writings are the basisof the charges. The conviction was upheld in early 2003 and is nowfinal. Bodjolyan has brought his case to the European Court of HumanRights. Background: Bodjolyan is a freelance journalist for the TurkishNTV television network. Until 1998 he worked in the Armenian foreignministry and acted as interpreter for former president Ter-Petrosian. Thereare suggestions that the conviction may be linked to the February 2003presidential elections and is aimed at undermining Ter-Petrosian who isstanding for re-election. He is married with children. Last informationdated August 2009 reported that Bodjolyan was still in prison, despiteseveral petitions to the authorities asking for his early release. No furtherinformation as of June 2012.Brief detention*Hayk GEVORGIAN: veteran editor and correspondent with the prooppositiondaily Haykakan Zhamanak. He was arrested on 3 February2012 for allegedly running over another man in his car on January 13.The Armenian police say he did not help the middle-aged man andinstead verbally abused him before fleeing the scene. Nikol Pashinian,the paper’s editor, dismissed those claims, saying that the incident wasa police provocation organised in retaliation for Gevorgian’s scathingarticles about Vladimir Gasparian, the chief of the national police. Facinguproar from Armenia’s leading press freedom groups and independentmedia outlets, law-enforcement authorities released Gevorgian on 6February 2012.Harrassed*Hovhannes ISKHANYAN: The author of a book that is said to defamethe Armenian Army. He has been charged with dissemination ofpornographic material and his book Demob Day / The Day of Dischargewas removed from bookstores following pressure from the MilitaryPolice on 23 March 2012. He says he wrote the book in part before hejoined the army and completed it after his service and that the languagein the book – while fictional – is based on his experiences. Nonetheless,Military Police attorney says Ishkhanyan’s work of fiction distorts truth,defames the military, is offensive to religion and Armenian mothers.Ishkhanyan was prosecuted under Article 263 of the Criminal Code ofArmenia (Illegal dissemination of pornographic materials or items).Those who are charged with this crime “are punished with a fine or witharrest for the term of up to two months, or with imprisonment for the termof up to two years.” The procurator’s office rejected the criminal casepresented by the investigators on 25 April 2012.AZERBAIJANKilled: investigation under wayRafiq TAGI: journalist, died in hospital on 23 November 2011 after hehad been attacked as he was returning home from work on 19 November2011. Tagi received six stab wounds and needed emergency surgery toremove his spleen. He was also reported at the time to have sufferedbroken ribs, a fractured soldier blade and injuries to his stomach anddiaphragm. The attack was reportedly carried out by two unidentifiedmale assailants, aged approximately 30-35 years, who had their facesconcealed and did not say anything. Tagi underwent four hours ofemergency surgery and was believed to have been in a stable conditionin hospital in Baku before he died. However, he died in hospital on 23November 2011 after reportedly choking on vomit mass. Although themotive for the attack remains unknown, it is alleged that it may havebeen related to an article Tagi published on 10 November 2011 entitled‘Iran and the Inevitability of Globalisation’ in which he criticized theIranian regime and described threats made against Azerbaijan by Iran as“ridiculous”. A criminal investigation has been launched by the KhataiDistrict Prosecutor’s Office. Update: Law enforcement officials haveruled in February 2012 that medical personnel were not to blame for thedeath of the writer. Tagi’s brother Rafael Tagiyev rejected the officialruling, saying doctors had been “negligent” in their treatment. MehmanAliyev, a member of a public investigation group on Tagi’s death, saysthe writer was not provided with sufficient security and that his food andmedication were not properly monitored. Background: Tagi, a formerPEN main case, was previously arrested in November 2006 for an article 45
46entitled ‘Europe and Us’, published in Sanat newspaper, for whichhe was accused of insulting the Prophet Mohammad. Following thepublication of the article Grand Ayatollah Fazil Lankarani of Iran issueda fatwa calling for Tagi’s death. He was sentenced to three years in prisonfor the article under Article 283 of the Azeri Criminal Code for “incitingnational, racial and religious enmity”. Following significant internationalpressure, Tagi was granted amnesty on 28 December 2007.Imprisoned – Investigation*Nijat ALIYEV: editor-in-chief of azadxeber.az website. Detained20 May 2012 near Memar Ajami metro station and taken to YasamalDistrict police office. He was charged under Article 234.1 (Illegalmanufacturing, purchase, storage, transportation, transfer or selling ofnarcotics/psychotropic substances) and sentenced to 2 months pre-trialdetention. He is currently held in Kurdakhani investigative prison. Hislawyer Anar Gasimli reported to the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom andSafety (IRFS) on 29 May that Aliyev was beaten by the officers whilein custody. According to Gasimli they also tried to blackmail him. Thepolice told Aliyev that if he does not admit to drug-related charges, theywill sentence him to more than 5 years in prison, under more seriouscharges. They allegedly warned him that they could plant drugs in hisapartment, which would put his family members at risk, said the lawyer,and added that they will take legal measures regarding the case.*Ramin BAYMAROV (BAYRAMLI): editor of the Islamazeri.azwebsite. A court in the Baku district of Absheron sentenced him to 18months in prison on charges of illegal possession of drugs and firearms on8 March 2012. He has been detained since 11 July 2011. There have beendoubts about the reasons for his arrest from the outset. He extensivelycovered issues of interest to Muslim communities in Azerbaijan. He wasarrested on the same day as one of the leaders of the Azerbaijani IslamicParty (IPA), Arif Ganiyev, and it was initially reported that the NationalSecurity Ministry suspected Bayramov of having links with the IranianCultural Centre in Baku and belonging to the radical Shiite group Jafari.Nazim GULIYEV: Founder and editor-in-chief of the newspaper Ideal,currently closed, was reportedly sentenced to thirteen years in prison andconfiscation of his property by the Grave Crimes Court on 15 January 2010.The charges against him are: extortion (under Article 182 of the CriminalCode); hooliganism (under article 221); and illegal manufacturing, purchase,storage, transportation, transfer or selling of narcotics, psychotropicsubstances (under Article 234). Guliyev is serving his sentence in a specialpenitentiary. Previous conviction: Guliyev was arrested in late April 2009and sentenced to six months in prison. Convicted regarding a criminal casefiled in September 2008 by a Nagorno-Karabakh war veteran, who allegedthat two articles published in Ideal in August 2008 harmed her dignity.Guliyev was sentenced to pre-trial detention during a hearing in the NasimiDistrict Court on 30 October 2008; however by then he had gone into hiding.In late April 2009, Guliyev was arrested and on 26 May 2009 he wassentenced to six months on defamation charges (see previous caselist). PENis seeking clarification of the current criminal charges so as to ascertainwhether he is in fact detained for his writings.*Ayudin JANIYEV: regional correspondent for Xural newspaper. He wasdetained by police on 8 September 2011 after complaints from members ofthe religious community in the village of Sarpakaran. Leader of the Sahibaz-Zaman mosque claimed that on 7 September Janiyev went to the houseof a local woman and after a dispute, broke the windows of her house andthen went to the nearby mosque, broke its windows and insulted membersof village who attempted to stop him. The leader of the mosque claims hewas physically assaulted and as a result lodged a complaint with the police.Janiyev was initially sentenced to twelve days of administrative detentionfor hooliganism and resisting a state employee preventing violation of socialorder. The journalist was reported to have rejected legal representationin favour of defending his own rights. On 20 September 2011 LenkeranRegional Court sentenced him to two months of pre-trial detention, laterhanding down a three year prison term upon conviction on 21 November.Janiyev wrote a series of articles critical of the activities of the religiousauthorities in the southern region, particularly Gani Akhundzade, a representativeof the Caucasus Muslim Department. An independent investigationby local journalists, cited by the independent Azerbaijani news agencyTuran, concluded that Janiyev’s charges stemmed from his reporting onauthorities’ alleged involvement in drug trafficking in Lenkeran.*Taleh KHASMAMMADOV: Blogger, human rights defender and founderof ‘Law and Rights 2010’, a legal consulting office. On 11 November 2011Khasmammadov was approached by two men claiming to be policemen.They asked him to giver over material that he had collected pertaining to illegalactions carried out by police officers. Khasmammadov complied withthe request but was called to the regional police department the followingday. There he was charged with ‘hooliganism’, resisting arrest and usingforce against a government representative. It is said that he was assaulted bypolice during his arrest. Khasmammadov’s home and office were searchedand a computer and other possessions confiscated by police. Initially sentencedto two months pre-trial detention, criminal proceedings were openedagainst Khasmammadov on 7 March 2012 at Kurdamir Regional Court.Khasmammadov stated in court that the police officers had targeted himas a result of his work as a human rights defender and blogger. Khasmammadovwas sentenced on 20 April 2012 to four years in jail at the KurdamirRegional Court. The blogger’s lawyer Asabali Mustafayev stated that theywould appeal against the decision.*Hilal MAMEDOV: editor-in-chief of Tolishi Sado (Voice of the Talysh)independent newspaper and human rights activist. Arrested for allegedillegal drugs possession. The non-governmental Baku Institute forPeace and Democracy said on 22 June 2012 that Hilal Mamedov wasabducted by unknown individuals on 21 June. Mamedov’s relatives sayhe has never used drugs and that they believe the arrest is politicallymotivated. No response to this allegation was immediately availablefrom police. Mamedov’s newspaper is printed in the Talysh language, abranch of Persian. The Talysh minority’s leader in Azerbaijan, NovruzaliMamedov, who edited the newspaper before Mamedov, died in prisonin 2009 after he was found guilty of spying for Iran and sentenced to 10years in prison. Update: Mamedov was charged in a Baku court on 4 July2012 with separate counts of treason, incitement to ethnic and religioushatred, and drug possession. If convicted, he faces a life term in prison. Ifconvicted, he faces a life term in prison.Avaz ZEYNALLI: editor-in-chief of the Khural newspaper; Arrested 28October 2011 by members of the Anti-Corruption Fight Office and, on thesame day, sentenced to three months of pre-trial detention by the NasimiDistrict Court and transferred to the Kurdakhani Investigation Prison thefollowing day. The detention was extended to 20 May. (1) Charged underArticle 306.2 of the Azeri Criminal Code (contempt of court). The case isreported to be the result of Zeynalli’s non-adherence to a court decisionwhich ordered Khural to pay over US$18,000 to two men who had accusedKhural of ‘insulting their honour and dignity’. The newspaper hadappealed for the termination of the fines due to lack of funds. (2) On May4, 2012 another charge was brought against Zeynalli under article 213.1(evasion of taxes or other obligatory payments in significant amount). Histrial is currently ongoing at the Baku Grave Crimes Court. Trial: Opened 2July 2012 at Baku Grave Crimes court during which the head of Azerbaijan
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Page 5 and 6: 4Caselist January to June 2011PEN I
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Page 9 and 10: 8to his alleged sympathy for the ba
Page 12 and 13: KENYABrief Detention*Suleiman MBATI
Page 14 and 15: prosecutor who had ordered that the
Page 16 and 17: *Jamal Osman HAMAD: Eritrean journa
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Page 20 and 21: Death Threat*Cándido FIGUEREDO: a
Page 22 and 23: article was based on police documen
Page 24 and 25: at a bar in Chihuahuah on 20 April
Page 26 and 27: former MRTA members appears to have
Page 28 and 29: Gustavo AZOCAR: freelance journalis
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Page 32 and 33: seriously deteriorated. Health conc
Page 34 and 35: from renal failure and requires hae
Page 36 and 37: Monastery, eastern Tibet, took docu
Page 38 and 39: case’ above) were arrested and se
Page 40 and 41: website is said to publish issues t
Page 42 and 43: trial: On 26 March 2012, the People
Page 44 and 45: and 3 years in probationary detenti
Page 48 and 49: Publishing Company Agabay Asgarov f
Page 50 and 51: BULGARIAAttacked*Lidia PAVLOVA (f):
Page 52 and 53: KYRGYZSTANImprisoned: investigation
Page 54 and 55: spokesman Vladimir Markin told jour
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Page 58 and 59: Ergenekon CaseSince June 2007 there
Page 60 and 61: Kurdistan DemocraticConfederation (
Page 62 and 63: to refer to Ocalan as “chairman
Page 64 and 65: Article 314/2 (membership of a terr
Page 66 and 67: of Ilhan Cihaner, detained Chief Pu
Page 68 and 69: UZBEKISTANDisappearance - investiga
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Page 72 and 73: Brief detention*Zainab Al-KHAWAJA (
Page 74 and 75: *Siamak GHADERIProfession: Journali
Page 76 and 77: *Nargess MOHAMMADI (f)D.o.b.: 1972
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Page 86 and 87: Muheeb Al-NAWATHY: a Palestinian jo
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