Monday, September 29, 2014
Ms. Irina Bokova UNESCO Director-General
7, place de Fontenoy 75352 Paris 07 SP France
1, rue Miollis 75732 Paris Cedex 15 France
Dear Ms. Bokova,
I am writing on behalf of Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE), a non-profit, non-governmental organization that works to promote and protect press freedom and freedom of expression around the world.
CJFE adds its voice to fellow members of IFEX, the global network defending and promoting free expression, who condemn in the strongest possible terms the frantic clampdown on free expression in Azerbaijan, including a deliberate, abusive strategy to silence IFEX member organisation the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS).
Freedom of expression is at the heart of the escalating repression directed at non-governmental organisations (NGOs), civil society activists, human rights defenders and journalists in the recent months.
On 8 August 2014, the IRFS offices were searched; all of the organisation's material and equipment was seized, and their doors were sealed by the Prosecutor's Office. IRFS leader and prominent human rights defender Emin Huseynov was forced into hiding and is in need of urgent protection. Huseynov faces imminent arrest on bogus charges of abuse of authority, illegal entrepreneurship and tax evasion. Other IRFS staff members have also been subject to interrogations and illegal travel bans. On 9 July, IRFS bank accounts were put under arrest, paralysing the work of Azerbaijan's primary media watchdog organisation.
IRFS' broad freedom of expression approach and its ability to respond rapidly to even the most outrageous actions against press freedom have been the DNA of the organisation's work since its establishment in 2006.
Another active media rights organisation, the Media Rights Institute, has been subject to the same pressure and was forced to close down. On 5 and 8 August 2014, two more prominent human rights defenders, Intigam Aliyev, the chair of the Legal Education Society, and Rasul Jafarov, the chair of the Human Rights Club, were remanded with 3-month pre-trial detentions under the same charges faced by Emin Huseynov. More than 20 critical human rights NGOs are subject to tax inspections, frozen bank accounts, searches and de facto closures.
We notice with deep concern that the freedom of expression situation has been greatly deteriorating in the last few years. Independent media barely exists in Azerbaijan. We witness an increasing number of imprisoned journalists, bloggers and social media activists on bogus charges such as hooliganism, drug possession, weapon possession and tax evasion. Currently, 9 journalists and 2 bloggers are behind bars on what international and local human rights organizations consider to be bogus charges for their criticism:
- • Avaz Zeynalli, editor-in-chief, Khural newspaper
- • Hilal Mammadov, editor-in-chief, Tolishy Sado newspaper
- • Nijat Aliyev, editor-in-chief, azadxeber.az
- • Araz Guliyev, editor, religious website www.xeber44.com
- • Tofig Yagublu, journalist, Yeni Musavat newspaper Serdar Alibayli, editor-in-chief, Note Bone
- • Parviz Hashimli, editor of moderator.az website and correspondent ofBizim Yol newspaper
- • Rashad Ramazanov, blogger
- • Rauf Mirkadirov, political commentator of Zerkalo newspaper
- • Seymur Hazi, reporter for the newspaper Azadliq
- • Omar Mammadov, blogger
- • Release all journalists imprisoned in connection with their work immediately and unconditionally
- • Stop pressures against IRFS and rescind the criminal case opened against the organisation
- • Put an end to the practice of intimidating journalists
- • Reconsider media laws and adopt legislation, in line with international standards on defamation, that decriminalises defamation and provides civil remedies that are proportionate to the actual harm caused
- • Stop applying financial sanctions on newspapers in retaliation for their reporting
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