Fikret Huseynli: "They keep me in Ukraine as a hostage"

Baku/03.04.18/Turan: On April 2, the Kiev court decided to stop the investigation of the prosecutor's office in the case of journalist Fikret Huseynli and return his passport so that he could leave the country. According to Huseynli, the Kiev prosecutor's office refuses to return his passport. "The prosecutor's office ignores the court's decision and they keep me here as a hostage," he told Turan. The embassy of the Netherlands, whose citizen he is, also demands the return of Huseynli's passport, the journalist said. As for the position of the prosecutor's office, the Ukrainian law-enforcers do not give comments, trying in every possible way to delay the process. For this reason, the journalist intends to file a lawsuit against the prosecutor's office of Ukraine. Detained in autumn last year in Kiev at the request of Baku, Fikret Huseynli received in 2007 the citizenship of the Netherlands, as persecuted in Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani authorities accuse him of fraud, demanding extradition. However, the real reason for his persecution is criticism of the policy of the Azerbaijani authorities. "We ask you to immediately reject the request for the extradition of Huseynli to Azerbaijan. Taking into accouint that the Dutch authorities took him under their protection and granted the citizenship of their country, sending him to the country of origin will not only be illegal, but will put him in great danger and may have the worst consequences," noted the appeal to the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine from the organization "Reporters without Borders". -03B-