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Articles - Azerbaijan

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Azerbaijan

Eurovision 2012: Five things the hosts don't want you to know

Behind the Eurovision glitz is an "alarming" free expression situation, says a coalition of international rights groups. Plus:- Take action! Support human rights in Azerbaijan- Video petition: Sing for Democracy - Human Rights Watch Azerbaijan Eurovision page- Amnesty International Azerbaijan Running Scared campaign

Azerbaijan

As host of 2012 Eurovision Song Contest, Baku should let all voices be heard

This May, Azerbaijan gets to play host to one of the most watched non-sporting events in the world, the Eurovision Song Contest. The popular competition - which gave birth to ABBA - pits artists from 56 countries in and around Europe vying to release the next big hit. So why are IFEX members up in arms?

Azerbaijan

IFEX members outraged by death of prominent journalist in hospital

IFEX members are demanding answers from the Azerbaijani government after outspoken journalist and writer Rafiq Tagi died in hospital on 23 November following a stabbing attack. The International Partnership Group for Azerbaijan (IPGA) issued a joint statement condemning his murder and calling for an end to the impunity that threatens Azerbaijani journalists.

Azerbaijan

IRFS staffer, freelance journalist attacked

Earlier this month, many IFEX members met Celia Davies, a British staffer at the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS) in Azerbaijan, for the first time at the IFEX conference in Beirut. It hit that much closer to home when last week, Davies and U.S. freelance journalist Amanda Erickson were badly beaten while on their way home - likely in connection with their human rights work, says IRFS.

Azerbaijan

Eynulla Fatullayev free at last

Azerbaijani journalist Eynulla Fatullayev's imprisonment became emblematic of the battle for free expression in the country. After four years in prison on politically motivated charges, Fatullayev was released on a presidential pardon on 26 March. He endured years of threats, attacks and prosecution in retaliation for his writing, even before his imprisonment in 2007. After years of intensely campaigning for his release, the Institute for Reporters Freedom and Safety (IRFS) and other IFEX members are thrilled with the news that he is now free. His release was part of a general amnesty for political prisoners, marking 28 May, Republic Day.

Azerbaijan

IFEX members urge Council of Europe to condemn crackdown

Protests in Azerbaijan inspired by pro-democracy uprisings across the Arab world have led to hundreds of bloggers, journalists, civil society activists and opposition party members being harassed, arrested and beaten, report the Institute for Journalists' Freedom and Safety (IRFS), ARTICLE 19 and other IFEX members who make up the International Partnership Group for Azerbaijan. Members of the Partnership Group, a coalition of 20 organisations working to defend free expression in Azerbaijan, are in Strasbourg, France, this week to urge the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly to condemn the ongoing crackdown and call for an end to the abuse.

Azerbaijan

Social networking call to protest; activists detained

Several hundred Azerbaijani protesters took to the streets in the capital, Baku, last week, determined to demand their rights after watching uprisings in the Middle East. They called for the resignation of President Ilham Aliyev. The Institute for Reporters Freedom and Safety (IRFS) and other IFEX members report that authorities arrested activists who urged fellow citizens to protest government policies and corruption, detained numerous demonstrators and evicted several non-governmental organisations from their offices.

Azerbaijan

"Donkey bloggers" released

The Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS) and other IFEX members welcomed Azerbaijan's decision last week to release two opposition bloggers whose jailing sparked an international outcry. But more activists and journalists are still in prison and they should be released immediately too, say the IFEX members.

Azerbaijan

Government defies international duty to uphold free expression ahead of elections; take action for jailed editor

Azerbaijani editor Eynulla Fatullayev has been in prison since April 2007 on trumped up charges - despite a European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) judgment this year that demanded his release, reports the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS). His case exposes the Azerbaijani government's failure to comply with its international commitments to free expression - and threatens to undermine the legitimacy of the 7 November elections, say IFEX members, six of whom have recently returned from a joint free expression mission to the country.

Azerbaijan

IFEX members spotlight decline of press freedom

The International Partnership Group for Azerbaijan, including six IFEX members and four other organisations, launched a three-day mission on 7 September to shed light on the current state of freedom of expression in the country. The Group called on authorities to release those imprisoned for expressing critical opinions and to decriminalise defamation. With Azerbaijan's parliamentary elections slated for 7 November, the mission aimed to press for the necessary improvement of the poor situation for freedom of expression, "which has been unfolding with little attention from the international media spotlight."

Azerbaijan

Jailed journalist sentenced on "bogus" heroin charges

Well-known Azeri journalist Eynulla Fatullayev, serving over eight years in jail on trumped up charges of terrorism, defamation, incitement of ethnic hatred and tax evasion, just got another charge – illegal possession of a narcotic – added to the list. The Institute for Reporters Freedom and Safety (IRFS), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and other IFEX organisations expressed their indignation over Fatullayev's latest charge, which IRFS is calling "bogus".

Azerbaijan

Jailed journalist carries out hunger strike; European Court orders his release

An imprisoned Azerbaijani journalist began a hunger strike on 2 June to draw attention to a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in April saying he should be immediately released, report the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF). The ECHR stated the journalist had been wrongfully imprisoned for exercising his right to free expression. Last week, Index on Censorship and ARTICLE 19 joined other rights groups at a demonstration calling for an end to his persecution. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the World Press Freedom Committee (WPFC) and other IFEX members have urged the Azerbaijani government to follow the ECHR's decision.

Azerbaijan

Dissident editor freed; other journalists and bloggers remain behind bars

An Azerbaijani editor imprisoned for his critical journalism was released on 18 March after serving more than half of a four-year term, report the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF). But another journalist and two bloggers remain in detention, simply for expressing themselves and challenging the government.

Azerbaijan

Democratic ideas forbidden; bloggers punished

An Azeri court sentenced two bloggers to prison on 11 November in a politically motivated decision aimed at censoring young activists critical of the government, report the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS) and other IFEX members. This conviction sends a clear message about the cost of democratic debate in Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan

Three journalists still imprisoned years later

After several years, two editors and a journalist remain imprisoned in Azerbaijan for their relentless criticism of the government, report the Institute for Reporters Freedom and Safety (IRFS) and other IFEX members. In an open letter to President Ilham Aliyev, IRFS has demanded an end to the persecution of journalists and mass media, saying it is an impediment to the democratic development of the country.

Azerbaijan

Bloggers assaulted and on trial for being "hooligans"

The trial of two young bloggers in Azerbaijan facing charges of "hooliganism" and "deliberate physical violence," in a hearing on 16 September, was marked by irregularities and the arrest of supporters, report the Institute for Reporters Freedom and Safety (IRFS) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Azerbaijan

Editor dies in detention

The Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Human Rights Watch and ARTICLE 19 are questioning the death of an Azeri journalist while in custody, saying inadequate medical attention may have contributed to his demise.

Azerbaijan

Parliament drops most contentious changes to NGO law

Azerbaijan's parliament adopted a new law on non-governmental organisations on 30 June, but eliminated several controversial amendments that were widely opposed by IFEX members and other international human rights groups, the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS) and RFE/RL's Azerbaijan Service report.

Azerbaijan

Two journalists freed from prison

After serving two years and nine months of his three-year prison sentence, Azerbaijani journalist Sakit Zahidov was pardoned and released last week, report the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Azerbaijan

GOBIERNO PROSCRIBE NOTICIAS EXTRANJERAS DE RADIO FM

Azerbaijan

LE GOUVERNEMENT INTERDIT LES NOUVELLES ÉTRANGÈRES À LA RADIO FM

Azerbaijan

GOVERNMENT BANS FOREIGN NEWS FROM FM RADIO

The Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS) and other IFEX members have condemned the Azeri government's decision to cease the FM broadcasts of major international news organisations the BBC, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and the Voice of America in Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan

ÚNASE A LOS MIEMBROS DE IFEX Y REPUDIE LA EXPULSIÓN DE DIFUSORES INTERNACIONALES POR EL GOBIERNO DE AZERBAIYÁN

Azerbaijan

JOIGNEZ-VOUS AUX MEMBRES DE L'IFEX ET PROTESTEZ CONTRE L'EXPULSION, PAR LE GOUVERNEMENT AZERBAÏDJANAIS, DE RADIODIFFUSEURS INTERNATIONAUX

Azerbaijan

JOIN IFEX MEMBERS AND PROTEST AZERBAIJANI GOVERNMENT OUSTER OF INTERNATIONAL BROADCASTERS

If the Azeri authorities have their way, this New Year's Eve (31 December) will be the last time major international news organisations the BBC, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and the Voice of America (VOA) will be broadcast on FM radio in Azerbaijan. Join the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS) and 24 other IFEX members in condemning the decision, and show your protest by adding a banner to your website.

Azerbaijan

IRFS DA A CONOCER CHALECOS PARA PERIODISTAS

Azerbaijan

L'IRFS LANCE DES VESTES POUR LES JOURNALISTES

Azerbaijan

IRFS UNVEILS VESTS FOR JOURNALISTS

The Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS) has got their journalists' backs covered - literally. Last week, they unveiled 105 special press vests made to help journalists be identifiable as members of the media during social events and protests.

Azerbaijan

¡ACTÚE! CAMPAÑA POR LA LIBERTAD DE PRENSA EN AZERBAIYÁN EL 17 DE JULIO

Azerbaijan

CAMPAGNE EN FAVEUR DE LA LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE EN AZERBAÏDJAN LE 17 JUILLET

Azerbaijan

CAMPAIGN FOR PRESS FREEDOM IN AZERBAIJAN ON 17 JULY

This year was supposed to be different for Azerbaijani journalists. Late in December, President Ilham Aliyev pardoned five journalists who were behind bars. But press offences still count as crimes, four journalists are still wrongfully in jail and the killers of beloved journalist Elmar Huseynov are still free. The Institute for Reporter Freedom and Safety (IRFS) wants you to voice these wrongs on 17 July, Huseynov's birthday, at your Azerbaijani embassy or online with banners on your website.

Azerbaijan

AMNESTY AWARDS RECOGNISE PERSECUTED JOURNALISTS

Amnesty International UK recognised persecuted journalists around the world at its annual media awards in London on 17 June.

Azerbaijan

PRESIDENTE DE IRFS ATACADO POR LA POLICÍA

Azerbaijan

LE PRÉSIDENT DE L'IRFS EST ATTAQUÉ PAR LA POLICE

Azerbaijan

CHAIR OF IRFS ATTACKED BY POLICE

The chair of IFEX's Azerbaijan member the Institute for Reporter Freedom and Safety (IRFS) was detained and beaten while in police custody - the second time in two days he faced off with police, reports IRFS.

Azerbaijan

DES JOURNALISTES AZERBAÏDJANAIS INCARCÉRÉS REMPORTENT DES SUBVENTIONS HELLMAN/HAMMETT

Azerbaijan

PERIODISTA AZERÍES ENCARCELADOS GANAN BECAS HELLMAN/HAMMETT

Azerbaijan

JAILED AZERBAIJANI JOURNALISTS WIN HELLMAN/HAMMETT GRANTS

Three journalists in jail in Azerbaijan on spurious charges have been awarded Human Rights Watch's Hellman/Hammett Grants for persevering in their work despite being politically persecuted.

Azerbaijan

UN REPORTER D'UN QUOTIDIEN D'OPPOSITION EST POIGNARDÉ

Azerbaijan

ACUCHILLAN A REPORTERO DE DIARIO DE OPOSICIÓN

Azerbaijan

REPORTER FOR OPPOSITION DAILY STABBED

A reporter working with Azerbaijan's opposition daily "Azadlig" was stabbed as he was leaving his office last week, the latest in a series of violent attacks against the journalist and the newspaper, report the Institute for Reporter Freedom and Safety (IRFS) and other IFEX members.

Azerbaijan

EDITOR ENCARCELADO POR CARGOS ESPURIOS

Azerbaijan

UN RÉDACTEUR EN CHEF EST INCARCÉRÉ À LA SUITE D'ALLÉGATIONS FALLACIEUSES

Azerbaijan

EDITOR JAILED ON SPURIOUS CHARGES

An editor of an opposition daily in Azerbaijan has been sentenced to four years in prison on politically motivated charges, say the Institute for Reporter Freedom and Safety (IRFS), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Azerbaijan

TRIBUNAL DE APELACIÓN CONFIRMA FALLO JUDICIAL EN CASO FATULLAYEV; OTRO PERIODISTA ENCARCELADO

Azerbaijan

LA COUR D'APPEL CONFIRME LE VERDICT DANS L'AFFAIRE FATULLAYEV; UN AUTRE JOURNALISTE EST EMPRISONNÉ

Azerbaijan

APPEALS COURT UPHOLDS VERDICT IN FATULLAYEV CASE; ANOTHER JOURNALIST JAILED

The Institute for Reporter Freedom and Safety (IRFS) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemn an appeals court ruling to uphold the eight-and-a-half-year jail sentence of the editor of Azerbaijan's two largest independent papers.

Azerbaijan

CINQ JOURNALISTES LIBÉRÉS DE PRISON

Azerbaijan

CINCO PERIODISTAS LIBERADOS DE PRISIÓN

Azerbaijan

FIVE JOURNALISTS RELEASED FROM PRISON

The President of Azerbaijan has pardoned and released five jailed journalists, reports the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), but at least three journalists remain behind bars.

Azerbaijan

IMPONEN GRAVE SENTENCIA A EDITOR; 27 MIEMBROS DE IFEX APOYAN MONUMENTO EN MEMORIA DE PERIODISTA ASESINADO

Azerbaijan

UN RÉDACTEUR REÇOIT UNE LOURDE PEINE; 27 MEMBRES DE L'IFEX APPUIENT L'IDÉE D'UN MONUMENT COMMÉMORATIF POUR UN JOURNALISTE ASSASSINÉ

Azerbaijan

EDITOR SLAMMED WITH SEVERE SENTENCE; 27 IFEX MEMBERS SUPPORT MEMORIAL FOR SLAIN JOURNALIST

The editor of Azerbaijan's two largest independent papers was sent to jail for eight and a half years on terrorism and other charges, reflecting the government's increasing hostility towards free expression, say the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS), the Committee to Protect Journalists, Human Rights Watch, the International Press Institute (IPI) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF).

Azerbaijan

PRESIDENTE IGNORA PETICIONES DE INDULTAR A PERIODISTAS

Azerbaijan

LE PRÉSIDENT NE TIENT AUCUN COMPTE DES APPELS AU PARDON POUR DES JOURNALISTES

Azerbaijan

PRESIDENT IGNORES PLEAS TO PARDON JOURNALISTS

President Ilham Aliyev did not pardon the seven journalists jailed in Azerbaijan as was anticipated on National Press Day (22 July).

Azerbaijan

TRIBUNALES CONTINÚAN OFENSIVA CONTRA MEDIOS; PRESIDENTE APOYA GOLPIZAS DE POLICÍA A PERIODISTAS

Azerbaijan

LES TRIBUNAUX POURSUIVENT LA RÉPRESSION DES MÉDIAS; LE PRÉSIDENT APPUIE LES PASSAGES À TABAC DE JOURNALISTES PAR LA POLICE

Azerbaijan

COURTS CONTINUE CRACKDOWN ON MEDIA; PRESIDENT SUPPORTS POLICE BEATINGS OF JOURNALISTS

A Baku appeal court on 6 July 2007 upheld prison sentences imposed on two journalists for an article critical of Islam, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF). Azerbaijan authorities also charged an independent journalist who is already serving a 30-month sentence for defamation with inciting hatred. Meanwhile, the country's president told police they will not be punished for beating up journalists

Azerbaijan

DES REPORTERS SONT EMPRISONNÉS À CAUSE D'UN ARTICLE CONTROVERSÉ SUR LA RELIGION

Azerbaijan

REPORTEROS ENCARCELADOS POR POLÉMICO ARTÍCULO SOBRE RELIGIÓN

Azerbaijan

REPORTERS JAILED FOR CONTROVERSIAL ARTICLE ON RELIGION

Journalists who said Islam was hampering economic and political progress were given lengthy prison sentences in Azerbaijan last week, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF).

Azerbaijan

FUNCIONARIOS USAN TRIBUNALES PARA SILENCIAR PERIODISTAS CRÍTICOS

Azerbaijan

DES OFFICIELS UTILISENT LES TRIBUNAUX POUR FAIRE TAIRE LES JOURNALISTES

Azerbaijan

OFFICIALS USE COURTS TO SILENCE CRITICAL JOURNALISTS

A widespread attempt to silence opposition media is taking place through the courts in Azerbaijan, where public officials have filed at least a dozen lawsuits against journalists in the past three months, report the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the International Press Institute (IPI), the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) and Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontieres, RSF).

Azerbaijan

IMPUNIDAD PREVALECE EN VIOLENCIA CONTRA PERIODISTAS

Azerbaijan

L'IMPUNITÉ RÈGNE DANS LA VIOLENCE CONTRE LES JOURNALISTES

Azerbaijan

IMPUNITY PREVAILS IN VIOLENCE AGAINST JOURNALISTS

In Azerbaijan, there is more violence against journalists than in any other former Soviet state, says Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF). In 2005, the press freedom organisation recorded more than 50 attacks, including two murders that remain unsolved.

Azerbaijan

Des journalistes azéris et géorgiens forment un réseau d'enquête

Azerbaijan

ATACAN A PERIODISTAS Y OPOSICIÓN MIENTRAS SE ACERCAN ELECCIONES

Azerbaijan

LES JOURNALISTES ET L'OPPOSITION SONT ATTAQUÉS À L'APPROCHE DES ÉLECTIONS

Azerbaijan

Azeri, Georgian Journalists Form Investigative Network

Investigative journalists from Azerbaijan and Georgia have launched a new initiative aimed at using cross-border collaborations to expose human trafficking, corruption and other pressing issues in the region.

Azerbaijan

JOURNALISTS, OPPOSITION ATTACKED AS ELECTIONS NEAR

IFEX members are expressing grave concerns about attacks by Azerbaijani authorities on journalists and demonstrators as the country's citizens prepare to head to the polls in November for parliamentary elections.

Azerbaijan

ANALYSE PAR ARTICLE 19 DE CERTAINES LOIS DE LA RÉPUBLIQUE D'AZERBAÏDJAN RELATIVES À LA LIBERTÉ D'EXPRESSION

Azerbaijan

LE MEURTRE D'UN DIRECTEUR DE PUBLICATION SUSCITE UN TOLLÉ DE PROTESTATIONS

Azerbaijan

ASESINATO DE EDITOR CAUSA INDIGNACIÓN

Azerbaijan

EDITOR'S MURDER PROMPTS OUTCRY

International press freedom groups have called for an inquiry into the murder of prominent editor Elmar Huseynov, who was gunned down in front of his home on 2 March 2005 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan

AGISSEZ ! AZERBAÏDJAN : DEUX JOURNALISTES SONT INCARCÉRÉS

Azerbaijan

¡ACTÚE! AZERBAIYÁN: DOS PERIODISTAS ENCARCELADOS

Azerbaijan

AZERBAIJAN: TWO JOURNALISTS IMPRISONED

25 January 2005

Azerbaijan

L'IIP APPUIE UNE CAMPAGNE EN FAVEUR DE LA LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE

Azerbaijan

IPI APOYA CAMPAÑA DE LIBERTAD DE PRENSA

Azerbaijan

IPI SUPPORTS PRESS FREEDOM CAMPAIGN

The International Press Institute (IPI) is launching a campaign with a coalition of 15 journalist associations in Azerbaijan aimed at focusing more international attention on deteriorating press freedom conditions in the country.

Azerbaijan

DES JOURNALISTES ARMÉNIENS ET AZÉRIS ÉTABLISSENT UN DIALOGUE EN PLEIN CONFLIT

Azerbaijan

PERIODISTAS ARMENIOS Y AZERÍES CONSTRUYEN DIÁLOGO EN MEDIO DE CONFLICTO

Azerbaijan

ARMENIAN, AZERI JOURNALISTS FORGE DIALOGUE AMIDST CONFLICT

Nagorno-Karabakh, an enclave in the Caucasus region that has seen heavy fighting in the past between Armenia and Azerbaijan, is a place that provokes fiery debate and even deep-seated hatred among citizens of both countries. Local journalists compare it to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and governments on both sides use the media to stoke fear and fan the flames of ethnic tension.

Azerbaijan

GOBIERNO PARALIZA LEY DE ACCESO A LA INFORMACIÓN

Azerbaijan

LE GOUVERNEMENT FAIT OBSTACLE À UNE LOI SUR L'ACCÈS À L'INFORMATION

Azerbaijan

ARTICLE 19 ASSESSES FREE EXPRESSION CONDITIONS

On 9 June 2004, ARTICLE 19 published a "Statement on Certain Laws of the Republic of Azerbaijan Relating to Freedom of Expression."

Azerbaijan

LA LIBERTÉ DE LA PRESSE SE DÉTÉRIORE, DIT HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH

Azerbaijan

LIBERTAD DE PRENSA EN DECADENCIA: HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH

Azerbaijan

PRESS FREEDOM DETERIORATING: HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH

Press freedom in Azerbaijan has deteriorated since the October 2003 presidential elections, marked by the government's refusal to prosecute police responsible for attacks on journalists, says a new report by Human Rights Watch.

Azerbaijan

UNE POURSUITE EN DIFFAMATION EST ABANDONNÉE APRÈS AVOIR SOULEVÉ UN TOLLÉ DE PROTESTATIONS DANS LE MONDE

Azerbaijan

RETIRAN DEMANDA DE DIFAMACIÓN TRAS INDIGNACIÓN MUNDIAL

Azerbaijan

DEFAMATION CASE DROPPED AFTER WORLDWIDE OUTCRY

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and other IFEX members were pleased to learn this week that criminal charges against a journalist who criticised the mayor of Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, have been dropped following international pressure.

Azerbaijan

ANÁLISIS DE ARTICLE 19 DE MEJOR APOYO DE AZERBAIYÁN A LIBRE EXPRESIÓN

Azerbaijan

GOBIERNO COMETE GRAVES VIOLACIONES A LOS DERECHOS HUMANOS

Azerbaijan

LE GOUVERNEMENT COMMET DES VIOLATIONS GRAVES DES DROITS DE LA PERSONNE

Azerbaijan

GOVERNMENT COMMITTING GRAVE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

Azerbaijan is suffering its worst human rights crisis in a decade, with government forces committing torture, beatings and widespread arrests against the country's political opposition, Human Rights Watch says in a new report.

Azerbaijan

LA CAMPAGNE DU GOUVERNEMENT CIBLE LA PRESSE D'OPPOSITION

Azerbaijan

CAMPAÑA DE GOBIERNO ATACA PRENSA DE OPOSICIÓN

Azerbaijan

AZERBAÏDJAN : UN GRAND NOMBRE DE JOURNALISTES ATTAQUÉS PENDANT LES ÉLECTIONS

Azerbaijan

VEINTENAS DE PERIODISTAS AGREDIDOS DURANTE ELECCIONES

Azerbaijan

SCORES OF JOURNALISTS ATTACKED DURING ELECTIONS

Dozens of journalists in Azerbaijan have been injured covering presidential elections and post-electoral clashes between opposition protesters and authorities, prompting calls of concern from IFEX members.

Azerbaijan

CONGRESO ANALIZARÁ CONSEJO DE PRENSA Y CÓDIGO DE ÉTICA

Azerbaijan

LE CONGRÈS S?APPRÊTE À DISCUTER CONSEIL DE PRESSE ET CODE D?ÉTHIQUE

Azerbaijan

CONGRESS TO DISCUSS PRESS COUNCIL, CODE OF ETHICS

More than 500 journalists in Azerbaijan are expected to attend a congress in the capital Baku next month to discuss the formation of a press council and adoption of a new code of ethics, reports the Journalists' Trade Union (JuHI). The purpose of the Press Council would be to resolve problems, such as accusations of libel or defamation, before they are taken to the courts.

Azerbaijan

RSF DÉNONCE LE HARCÈLEMENT JUDICIAIRE DES MÉDIAS INDÉPENDANTS

Azerbaijan

RSF DEPLORA ACOSO LEGAL A MEDIOS INDEPENDIENTES

Azerbaijan

RSF DECRIES LEGAL HARASSMENT OF INDEPENDENT MEDIA

Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF) has expressed alarm at the government's harassment of independent media in Azerbaijan, where more than 30 formal complaints have been filed against the private press in the past year, most of them by government employees.

Azerbaijan

JuHI REMEMBERS JOURNALISTS KILLED

For the second year in a row, Journalists' Trade Union (JuHI) will commemorate World Press Freedom Day by staging a rally in Baku, Azerbaijan, in commemoration of journalists who have been killed world-wide for their work. In Azerbaijan, at least 13 media workers have been killed since 1990, says JuHI. Nine of those journalists died covering the war in Nagorno Karabakh, now under Armenian occupation.

Azerbaijan

JUHI ENCOMIA NUEVA LEY DE MEDIOS

Azerbaijan

LE JUHI FAIT L?ÉLOGE DE LA NOUVELLE LOI SUR LES MÉDIAS

Azerbaijan

JUHI PRAISES NEW MEDIA LAW

Azerbaijan's revised Law on Mass Media, enacted on 16 March, is "very liberalised [and] is regarded by journalist unions as the best media law" among the Commonwealth of Independent States countries, says Journalists' Trade Union (JuHI). The organisation has recently posted the law (in English) on its website (www.juhiaz.org). ">http://www.juhiaz.org">www.juhiaz.org).

Azerbaijan

JUHI SE UNA A NUEVA CONFEDERACIÓN DE PERIODISTAS

Azerbaijan

LE JUHI ADHÈRE À UNE NOUVELLE CONFÉDÉRATION DE JOURNALISTES

Azerbaijan

JuHI JOINS NEW CONFEDERATION OF JOURNALISTS

Marking the "beginning of a new phase for expression and press freedom" in Azerbaijan, five journalist organisations, including the Journalists' Trade Union (JuHI), have formed a confederation aimed at strengthening co-operation among working journalists, co-ordinating research capabilities and improving links with international organisations. The Azerbaijan Journalists' Confederation (AJK) released a declaration on 15 January, stating that the founding of the organisation arose out of a need to "free the press from being subjected to politicisation and blackmail." The declaration also stressed the need to "co-ordinate the activities of free expression and press freedom groups" in the country. JuHI's chair, Azer Hasret, was named Secretary General of AJK.

Azerbaijan

GOBIERNO INTENSIFICA SUPRESIÓN DE MEDIOS INDEPENDIENTES

Azerbaijan

LE GOUVERNEMENT ACCENTUE LA RÉPRESSION DES MÉDIAS INDÉPENDANTS

Azerbaijan

GOVERNMENT STEPS UP SUPPRESSION OF INDEPENDENT MEDIA

Government authorities used "violent force" to disperse a demonstration by 40 journalists in Baku who were protesting the continued detention of their colleagues and the poor state of freedom of expression, reports the Journalists' Trade Union (JuHI). Held on 10 October 2001, the demonstration coincided with an appeal by the Azerbaijani Council of Editors to President Heidar Aliev calling for the release of imprisoned journalists.

Azerbaijan

A LOS MEDIOS DE COMUNICACIÓN CONTINÚAN AL ENTRAR EL PAÍS EN CONSEJO DE EUROPA

Azerbaijan

MENACES CONTINUENT AU MOMENT OÙ LE PAYS ACCÈDE AU CONSEIL DE L'EUROPE

Azerbaijan

THREATS TO MEDIA CONTINUE AS COUNTRY ENTERS COUNCIL OF EUROPE

ARTICLE 19 (A19) reports that in the three weeks prior to 25 January, the day Azerbaijan became a member of the Council of Europe, two independent television stations were closed. Mingechevir TV stopped broadcasting that very day, after being warned by police that continuing to operate would surely result in criminal charges. The order to close came directly from the State Radio Frequencies Commission and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who stated that the station was not operating on an official frequency. DMR TV saw a similar fate on 8 January, after station president Mustafa Dibirov was threatened and forced to write a letter promising that the station would not broadcast until it received an official licence.

Azerbaijan

CHEF D?UN JOURNAL EST REMIS EN LIBERTÉ À LA SUITE DE PRESSIONS INTERNATIONALES

Azerbaijan

EDITOR LIBERADO DEBIDO A PRESIÓN INTERNACIONAL

Azerbaijan

EDITOR FREED AFTER INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE

On 5 October, Rauf Arifoglu, the editor-in-chief of the opposition newspaper "Yeni Musavat", was released after more than six weeks of pre-trial detention, according to reports from the Journalists' Trade Union (JuHI) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). However, the charges against the journalist have not been dropped. CPJ reports that Arifoglu was required to submit a written assurance that he would not flee the city before the trial, the date of which has not yet been announced.

Azerbaijan

: UN JOURNALISTE EST PASSIBLE DE 25 ANS DE RÉCLUSION

Azerbaijan

JOURNALIST FACES 25 YEARS' IMPRISONMENT

Azeri editor Rauf Arifoglu currently faces up to 25 years in prison for “appealing for a coup d’etat,” and “complicity in attempted hijack, terrorism and illegal possession of firearms,” reports ARTICLE 19. The heavy-handed approach to Arifoglu is part of a larger “pattern of intimidation of opposition and independent journalists and media,” which ARTICLE 19 believes is designed to suppress political criticism in the pre-electoral period. Elections are scheduled to take place in November. Other recent acts of intimidation in Azerbaijan have included the closures of an independent television station and an independent weekly publication, as well as recent criminal defamation cases against journalists and a newspaper. ARTICLE 19 confirms that on 18 August, Arifoglu was contacted by Mekhti Gusenli, “who was attempting to hijack an internal flight and has since apparently claimed sole responsibility for the incident.” Arifoglu had strongly advised Gusenli to cease the hijacking and immediately informed the authorities of the situation. Arifoglu claims that the firearm alleged to have been found in his apartment was planted by police, says ARTICLE 19.

Azerbaijan

LES MÉDIAS DÉNONCE LA CAMPAGNE DE L?ÉTAT CONTRE LES JOURNALISTES

Azerbaijan

POR CAMPAÑA DE ESTADO CONTRA PERIODISTAS

Azerbaijan

MEDIA PROTESTS STATE CAMPAIGN AGAINST JOURNALISTS

From 24-26 August, members of the major independent and opposition mass media staged a three-day strike in protest of the "continuing state-sponsored violent attacks on free mass media and journalists" in Azerbaijan, reports the Journalists' Trade Union (JuHI). JuHI called upon international free expression supporters to join a campaign for a free press in Azerbaijan. The striking media workers also protested the recent arrest of Rauf Arifoglu, editor-in-chief of the opposition daily "Yeni Musavat". Arifoglu was arrested on 22 August after police allegedly found a gun in his apartment. The journalist's colleagues claim that the weapon was planted by the police and that the arrest is "an attempt by the authorities to cast slurs upon opposition journalists by accusing them of crimes they had not committed." On 21 August, Arifoglu was questioned in relation to the hijacking of a plane by a member of the Musavat party. The hijacker had phoned Arifoglu to have the editor publish a list of his demands, reports the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

Azerbaijan

PERO TAMBIÉN DE VÍNCULOS INTERNACIONALES CRECIENTES, DICE TUJO

Azerbaijan

PAR L?ACCENTUATION DE LA RÉPRESSION CONTRE LES MÉDIAS, DIT LE TUJo

Azerbaijan

1999 SAW CONTINUED MEDIA REPRESSION, BUT GROWING INTERNATIONAL LINKAGES, SAYS TUJO

Repression of the media continued throughout 1999, states the Trade Union of Journalists (TUJo) in its year-end report on press freedom in Azerbaijan. TUJo also reports that two journalists were killed in Azerbaijan in 1999 which has never happened in previous years, although their deaths are not necessarily linked to media repression. TUJo reports that local media in Azerbaijan say that in 1999, the Ministry of Press and Information placed numerous restrictions on media and prevented the printing and distribution of some newspapers. Fewer journalists faced violence in 1999 than in 1998, however, the repression and abuse of media workers, mainly at the hands of the police, continued. Moreover, TUJo reports that one of the possible reasons for this decrease was that the opposition was unable to organise as many rallies in 1999, where much of the violence against journalists occurs. Additionally, TUJo states that journalists were the victims of many unfair court trials, and that numerous newspapers and media stations were forced to reduce or cease distribution or broadcasting. New television and radio companies also faced barriers obtaining licenses, says TUJo, inhibiting the development of this sector.

Azerbaijan

LIBERAN AL PERIODISTA FUAD QAHRAMANLI; MEDIOS ATACADOS

Azerbaijan

LE JOURNALISTE FOUAD QAHRAMANLI EST RELÂCHÉ; DES MÉDIAS SONT ATTAQUÉS

Azerbaijan

JOURNALIST FUAD QAHRAMANLI RELEASED; MEDIA ATTACKED

A journalist in Azerbaijan who was the subject of an international campaign, Fuad Qahramanli, was freed from jail after being pardoned by President Heydar Aliyev on 10 July, reports the International Press Institute (IPI). Qahramanli, a 24-year-old journalist working for the "Chag" newspaper, was arrested in June 1998 following a raid on the newspaper offices, and jailed for an article that was never published. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison in November 1998 for making a "call to social disorder," in an article reporting on the propaganda tactics of the opposition party in the run up to presidential elections. The Trade Union of Journalists (TUJo)/Azerbaijan and IPI, which together organised the international campaign to free Qahramanli, thank all the members of the IFEX community and others who took action on the journalist's behalf. The campaign was launched in April, and a statement of support calling for Qahramanli's freedom was signed by many participants at the IFEX Annual Meeting in South Africa in April. For more information, visit the TUJo website at http://members.xoom.com/Azer2013/camp.htm.">http://members.xoom.com/Azer2013/camp.htm">http://members.xoom.com/Azer2013/camp.htm.

Azerbaijan

A LIBERTAD DE PRENSA

Azerbaijan

SIX REPORTERS SONT AGRESSÉS

Azerbaijan

SIX REPORTERS ASSAULTED IN RECENT VIOLATIONS OF PRESS FREEDOM

Reporters sans frontieres (RSF) has expressed concern about the latest violations of press freedom in Azerbaijan as well as the current media bill which is being debated in the country's parliament.

Azerbaijan

PERIODISTAS GOLPEADOS EN 1998, PERO CENSURA ESTA "ABOLIDA"

Azerbaijan

EN 1998, DES JOURNALISTES ONT ÉTÉ ROUÉS DE COUPS, MAIS LA CENSURE A ÉTÉ "ABOLIE"

Azerbaijan

JOURNALISTS BEATEN IN 1998, BUT CENSORSHIP "ABOLISHED"

Although official censorship was abolished in Azerbaijan in 1998, the media were still subjected to violence and other threats, reports the Trade Union of Journalists of Azerbaijan in its "Report on the Media Situation in Azerbaijan for 1998". The report commends the abolition of a Value Added Tax on the mass media, but says journalists' salaries and working conditions deteriorated. Although the report says "relations between police forces and journalists were better than previous years," the year was still marked by some violent confrontations between police and demonstrators, in which journalists were injured. In addition, although censorship was officially abolished in August, some newspapers were still subject to censorship, and access to information was restricted. Authorities also prevented some newspapers from publishing, and police confiscated magazines such as the monthly "Monitor". A number of journalists were also arrested or taken to court. Journalists or media, including "Azaliq" and "Yeni Musavat", were found guilty of "insulting the honour" of officials such as the president were handed huge fines.

Azerbaijan

LIBERTAD DE MEDIOS DE COMUNICACIÓN AMENAZADA

Azerbaijan

LA LIBERTÉ DES MÉDIAS EST MENACÉE

Azerbaijan

MEDIA FREEDOM THREATENED

Media freedom has suffered numerous attacks recently in Azerbaijan, report ARTICLE 19 and Reporters sans frontières (RSF). Although official censorship was ostensibly lifted by presidential decree in August 1998, ARTICLE 19 notes that government controls on the media persist. According to ARTICLE 19 and RSF, about 20 editors of independent newspapers went on a hunger strike on 18 November to protest government repression. In particular, ARTICLE 19 says, they were protesting "the threat of huge fines being levied against them under criminal law for defamation of the President, and calls from parliament to exercise tighter control over the media."