Watchdog

Four ethnic-Azeri activists held in Tehran's notorious Evin prison are in the second week of a hunger strike to protest their detention, RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service reports.

The activists and 15 others -- including women and children -- were arrested in early September at the end of Ramadan.

The other 15 have been freed, but journalist Alirza Sarrafi, teacher Mehdi Naimi, poet/journalist Said Mughanli, and writer Hassan Rashidi are still imprisoned. It is not clear what crimes they are being accused of.

The Association for the Defense of Azerbaijani Political Prisoners reports that the hunger strike began on October 25.

Sarrafi, Mughanli, Naimi, and Rashidi are well-known advocates for cultural rights of ethnic Azeris in Iran, including right to native language education.

Azerbaijan’s Azadliq (Liberty) political alliance has written a letter of protest against government plans to halt foreign broadcasting on national frequencies.

Azerbaijan's National TV-Radio Council announced on October 31 that all international TV and radio programs broadcast in the country will end on January 1.

A final decision is expected next month.

Press freedom groups harshly criticized the Azerbaijani government after the announcement, calling it an effort to stop the free flow of information.

The Azadliq alliance unites the country's major opposition parties.