Satirical poet Mirza Sakit released from custody in Azerbaijan

Early in the morning on April 9, in Azerbaijan, poet-satirist Mirza Sakit (Sakit Zakhidov), a journalist of the "Azadlyg" (Freedom) newspaper, who was sentenced in October 2006 to three years in prison for drug dealing, got at large.

Mr Sakit was released due to the amnesty announced by the parliament of the country on March 17 on the occasion of the Navruz spring holiday. "I feel fine, and my verses will be still tougher. In the course of my three years in custody, I tried not to lose the touch of political processes and never gave up my stand," Mirza Sakit said to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent upon leaving his prison early on April 9.

According to his story, during his three years in custody he wrote a lot and plans to continue his war on all sorts of bureaucrats and strive for freedom.

It was expected that Sakit would gain freedom on March 18-19 by the Navruz holiday, however, the bosses of Colony No. 9, where the poet served his term, time, declared the "gradual" enforcement of the amnesty. In protest, Mirza Sakit wrote an application with his refusal to receive the amnesty. Then, the managers of the Penitentiary Service replied that the amnesty was mandatory to enforcement and the prisoner could not reject it. On March 30, Mirza Sakit was visited by his advocate Isakhan Ashurov, who then reported Sakit's intention to sue the colony boss for his default to enforce the amnesty act.

On April 6 in the morning, Mirza Sakit's family members were notified about his release on that day. However, the poet was kept behind bars for three more days. Every member of his family and his colleagues kept coming to the colony gate and waited for him all day long.

Emin Guseinov, Director of the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS), said in his talk with the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent: "The criminal case against Mirza Sakit was completely forged. In the course of preliminary investigation and at the trial, there were no real witnesses, regular police informants acted instead."

After Mirza Sakit's arrest, the public committee in defence of his rights was founded, headed by Director of the IRFS Emin Guseinov.

The committee held a parallel investigation, which established that 10 grams of heroin were planted into Sakit's pocket by a policeman. However, the Nasimin District Court, presided by Judge Azer Orudzhev, refused to consider the materials in evidence of Mirza Sakit's involvement in drug dealing. The Judge also found it not necessary to hold a respective medical examination to establish whether Mirza Sakit used any drugs.