(WAN/IFEX) – The following is a WAN press release: Paris, 26 August 1999 For immediate release Violence Against Journalists in Azerbaijan Draws International Protest The World Association of Newspapers has protested to President Heydar Aliyev of Azerbaijan against the murder of a television journalist and an assault, allegedly by policemen, against another reporter. The Paris-based […]
(WAN/IFEX) – The following is a WAN press release:
Paris, 26 August 1999
For immediate release
Violence Against Journalists in Azerbaijan Draws International Protest
The World Association of Newspapers has protested to President Heydar Aliyev
of Azerbaijan against the murder of a television journalist and an assault,
allegedly by policemen, against another reporter.
The Paris-based WAN, which represents 15,000 newspapers world-wide, sent a
letter to President Aliyev calling for investigations into the murder of
Telman Didirov of DM TV and the beating of Yashar Agazade of “Muxalifet”.
“The murder of a journalist constitutes not only a tragic loss of life but
the ultimate form of censorship,” said the letter, signed by WAN President
Bengt Braun. “This murder was committed in a climate of increasing violence
against journalists.”
The murder of Mr. Didirov, who was stabbed to death in the TV studios of
Balaken on 17 August, followed by one day the brutal beating of Mr. Agazade,
allegedly by a group of policemen in Baku to punish him for reporting on
police violence in Azerbaijan’s capital.
“The bullying of journalists is another reprehensible means of attempting to
silence press freedom; we urge you to ensure that those policemen
responsible for the beating are tried and punished for their crime,” WAN
said.
Earlier this year, WAN appealed to President Aliyev to release journalist
Fuad Qahramanli, who was granted a presidential pardon last month. “WAN was
one of the first international organizations to welcome the release of Mr.
Qahramanli, and it is with dismay that we hear of these latest outbreaks of
violence,” the letter said.
The Paris-based WAN, the global organisation for the newspaper industry,
defends and promotes press freedom world-wide. It represents 15,000
newspapers; its membership includes 61 national newspaper associations,
individual newspaper executives in 93 countries, 17 news agencies and seven
regional and world-wide press groups.