Independent Azerbaijan newspapers call unprecedented strike

Leading opposition and independent newspapers in Azerbaijan have announced they are halting publication in protest against the arrest of a prominent editor.

More than fifteen newspapers and other media organisations said they would begin the unprecedented three-day strike on Friday.

It's in support of Rauf Arifoglu Abbasov, editor-in-chief of the influential opposition daily Yeni Musavat.

Mr Abbasov was arrested on Tuesday after documents and an unregistered gun were found at his home.

The authorities have linked the seized material to a recent attempt to hijack an Azerbaijan Airlines plane. In a statement, the papers said the government had used the arrest to silence a critic. The information minister, Seruz Tabrizli, told the BBC that he would resign if anyone could prove state repression of the media.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service