[fse-esf] Statement about deep concerns regarding the freedom of speech and freedom of press in Azerbaijan, 25/06/07, by Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly International To Council of Europe

[Karine Gantin]

Dear friends,
Please find below a statement regarding the worrying situation of press 
freedom in Azerbaidjan. Please forward.
Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly has been created 1990 in Prag in order to 
defend human rights and pacific initiatives to promote democracy and 
resolve conflicts. It counts many active branches all over Europe, esp. 
in the Balkans, France, South Caucasus, and Turkey...
The statement can also be found here : 
http://www.reseau-ipam.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=36
And in French : http://www.reseau-ipam.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=10
Best regards,
Karine Gantin

HCA statement to Council of Europe on the situation regarding freedom of 
speech and freedom of press in Azerbaijan :


      STATEMENT 25/06/07

Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly expresses its concern concerning the 
developing complicated situation in Azerbaijan regarding freedom of 
speech and persecution of journalists which are accompanied with 
beatings and arrests. It is unacceptable that such a situation occurs in 
a country which has joined European Convention on Human Rights and is a 
member of European Organizations such as Council of Europe and OSCE.

The problems surrounding the safety of journalists have reached a very 
serious level. After the 2 March 2005 ordered brutal shooting of famous 
/Monitor Journal/ Chief Editor Elmar Huseynov, whose murderers have not 
been found and whose murder case remains incomplete, many other 
journalists have been exposed to pressure, including from /Azadlig 
Newspaper/ Fikret Huseynli (kidnapped and beaten) and Nijat Daglar 
(beaten by unknown people), from /Zerkalo Newspaper / Rustam Mikayilov 
and Farid Teymurkhanli (beaten by police), from /Ayna Newspaper/ Iddrak 
Abbasov (beaten by police), from /Bizim Yol/ Bahaddin Haziyev 
(kidnapped, brutally beaten and left an invalid for life), from /Boz 
Gurd/ Newspaper Ramiz Najafli (beaten by police), and from /Turan News/ 
Agency Sarvan Rizvanov (beaten by police). And finally, as a result of a 
disagreement with police which turned into a fist-fight, /Yeni Musavat/ 
Newspaper photo-correspondent Ali Kazimli was bedridden in the hospital 
and at home for six months, and ultimately died.

We would like to briefly recall some of the recent repressive acts that 
have occurred against the press. At present seven (7) journalists are 
imprisoned, including four (4) that were imprisoned on the basis of 
articles 147 and 148 of the Republic of Azerbaijan’s Criminal Code 
(libel and diffamation). In addition, there are at least six (6) 
well-known journalists serving probation due to articles 147 and 148.

In April of this year /Realny Azerbaycan/ Military writer Uzeir Jafarov 
was attacked in front of his own editorial office. He received serious 
head and brain trauma. Even police that have shown aggression towards 
journalists wearing special uniforms made at the order of the Press 
Council (with approval from the Interior Ministry) are not punished.

In May of this year alone, three leading independent newspapers were 
compelled to close : /Realny Azerbaycan/, /Gundalik Azerbaycan/ and 
/Baki Khabar/. More generally, from January 2006 to May 2007, tens of 
court cases against the mass media have been conducted. And fines 
against newspapers have reached a total of over 500,000 USD. The above 
mentioned incidents give evidence of the end of the independent press 
and of the destruction of the freedom of speech itself.

As representatives of an organization that has the defense of human 
rights as a main purpose and which is endowed with the consultative 
status at the Council of Europe since 1991, we confirm that we consider 
these imprisoned journalists as prisoners of conscience and we call for 
their immediate release. We hope that Azerbaijan authorities, who claim 
their will of becoming equal right member of European family, will 
pursue internal policy conforming to European values and laws.

*Bernard Dreano, Arzu Abdullayeva, Co-chairs of Helsinki Citizens’ 
Assembly International, 25.06.07*


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