Ganimat Zahid
Ganimat Zahid, editor-in-chief of Azerbaijan's opposition Azadlig newspaper, was released from jail this morning.
Zahid was one of 72 people pardoned by presidential decree yesterday on the occasion of the Novruz spring holiday.
Ganimat Zahid was released at around 08.00 today from the Justice Ministry's medical centre, Azadlig newspaper director Azer Ahmadov told APA news agency.
Zahid was sentenced to four years' imprisonment in March 2008 for 'deliberately causing light injuries' and 'hooliganism' after a street skirmish in November 2007.
The OSCE representative for freedom of the media, Miklos Haraszti, described the sentence as part of an ongoing campaign suppressing critical voices in Azerbaijan.
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