IPI expresses concern at worsening press freedom climate in Azerbaijan

The letter reads: "The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in over 120 countries, would like to express its concern at the worsening press freedom climate in Azerbaijan, and calls upon your Excellency to use the current visit to Azerbaijan of the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), Llu?s Maria de Puig, to publicly acknowledge the problems highlighted by the recent PACE resolution 1614 (2008), and to outline concrete steps to resolve these problems.

Azerbaijan continues to be one of Europe’s worst performers in terms of press freedom. At least four journalists are currently serving prison sentences on charges that are either unjust or fabricated. Critical journalists continue to be harassed, often in the form of death threats or physical violence. Critical publications are also singled out and pressured by the authorities.

PACE Resolution 1614 (2008), titled "The functioning of democratic institutions in Azerbaijan" and adopted by the Assembly on 24 June, strongly criticises such violations of press freedom in Azerbaijan, stating: "the harassment and intimidation of opposition journalists through defamation court proceedings, imprisonment, physical attacks and threats (…) are matters of great concern which the Assembly considers inadmissible in a Council of Europe member state. In order for Azerbaijan to honour its obligations and commitments to the Council of Europe, these issues have to be addressed without further delay and in time before the next presidential election."

The resolution also outlines a "road-map" of urgent steps that must be taken ahead of this election, scheduled for 15 October 2008. Among these steps are guarantees of equal coverage in the state media for political parties and coalitions, the decriminalisation of defamation, and the immediate release of three of the imprisoned journalists, Ganimat Zahidov, Sakit Zahidov and Eynulla Fatullayev, whose investigations and trials were criticised for their lack of "transparency and fairness."

The concerns provide a depressing picture of press freedom in Azerbaijan. This view becomes bleaker when taking into account the most recent press freedom violations committed in Azerbaijan, such as the imprisonment of a fourth Azeri journalist, Mushfig Huseynov, on dubious charges of accepting bribes, or the physical abuse meted out on Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety Chairman, Emin Huseynov, who was hospitalised following an assault by Azeri police".

According to the letter, free press is a prerequisite to a fully functioning democracy. It says as a member state of the Council of Europe, Azerbaijan is obliged to uphold the European Convention on Human Rights, Article 10, which safeguards the right to freedom of expression and the right to "hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority."

"On this basis, IPI reiterates its call on Your Excellency to address the deteriorating press freedom environment in Azerbaijan, and to outline his plans to ensure that the situation improves prior to the forthcoming presidential election".

/Today.Az/