Mr Hilal Mamedov was arrested on 21 June and charged for alleged possession of heroin.

Hilal Mamedov is a consultant with the Institute for Democracy and Peace and editor in chief of Tolishi Sado (Talysh Voice), the only newspaper in the Talysh minority language. He was also the head of the Committee for the Defence of Novruzali Mamedov, a prominent Talysh scientist and human rights activist charged in June 2008 with espionage in favour of Iran and subsequently sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment. Novruzali Mamedov died as a result of torture in prison in 2010.

At approximately 10 am on 21 June, Hilal Mamedov left home to visit a relative in hospital. He called home at 11 am and said that he would be home in 30 minutes. He then disappeared. From 2 to 3.30 pm, when relatives tried to call, his mobile phone was answered by an unfamiliar male voice who said that Hilal Mamedov was under medical observation and would return home when the doctor finished examining him. At 4.20 pm his brother called from Moscow. The person who answered the phone informed him that Hilal Mamedov was under arrest, without giving any further explanations. After that, Hilal Mamedov's mobile phone was turned off.

In the evening of 21 June, 20 police officers arrived to the home of Hilal Mamedov in order to carry out a search, following which they claimed they had found 5 kg of heroin. His colleagues believe that this accusation and alleged discovery is completely unfounded, and no evidence was provided for the accusation. One of the policeman reportedly asked Hilal Mamedov's father: "Why was your son defending Talysh people? Did he not know how it can end up?”

The International Partnership Group for Azerbaijan (IPGA), coordinated by Article 19, condemns recent actions taken by the Azerbaijani authorities to limit freedom of expression and freedom of information. In the aftermath of the Eurovision Song Contest, the authorities have targeted critical journalists and activists and adopted legislation which contradicts international freedom of information principles. These moves occur against the backdrop of an overall alarming freedom of expression situation, which must be urgently addressed.

The IPGA expresses its deep concern regarding the alarming state of freedom of expression in Azerbaijan, which has significantly worsened in the weeks since the Eurovision Song Contest was held in Baku in May 2012. The IPGA is particularly concerned by the following recent developments:

New York, June 25, 2012--Authorities in Azerbaijan must drop the charges against journalist Hilal Mamedov and immediately release him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Mamedov is the eighth journalist jailed in Azerbaijan, according to CPJ research.

Authorities detained Mamedov, chief editor of the independent newspaper Talyshi Sado, on Thursday after allegedly finding about 5 grams of heroin in his pocket, according to the Azeri-language service of the U.S. government-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The circumstances of the journalist's arrest were not clear. Later that night, police raided the journalist's home and said they found another 30 grams of heroin, news reports said. On Friday, the Nizami District Court in Baku, the capital, ordered Mamedov to be imprisoned for three months in pretrial detention on drug possession charges, the reports said.

Mamedov's family said police had planted the drugs, according to local and international news reports. The journalist's colleagues said he did not even smoke cigarettes and that he had been imprisoned in retaliation for his reporting, the reports said.