Though one year passed since the murder of the journalist of Elmar Huseynov, the official investigation has not been completed yet. The public opinion in Azerbaijan is that it is not in favor of the government to open up the case because as the widow of the journalist said “I remain sure that someone among the authorities did order the assassination of my husband”. On the 1-st anniversary of Elmar Huseynov’s murder there were organized several events commemorating the journalist as well as discussing and criticizing the slow investigation of the case. (03-MAR-2006)
Written by HRH Baku/Shahla Ismailova, photos by Turan Information Agency
The General Prosecutor´s Office instituted a criminal case under the articles 120.2.4 and 228 (premeditated murder committed with brutality and illegal bearing and storage of firearms). A Makarov pistol with a silencer and the perpetrator´s wool hat were found 150 km away from the crime scene. A group comprised jointly of employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of National Security, and the General Prosecutor´s Office was created to investigate the murder. President Ilham Aliyev called the murder a “black spot” on Azerbaijan´s international image and assured the public that every effort would be taken to swiftly solve the crime and arrest and punish both those who murdered Huseynov and those who ordered the crime. He also claimed that authorities had no interest in murdering Huseynov.
Official investigation
In light of increasing criticism, on April 8, 2005 the Prosecutor´s Office brought the investigation of the murder to the National Security Ministry, re-qualifying it into the act of terrorism. On May 4, representatives of the state security services said that a Georgian citizen, Tair Khubanov, was the main suspect in the murder. On May 19 the authorities reported that another Georgian citizen, Teimuraz Aliyev, was involved in the murder. Neither suspect has been found.
Last summer the authorities sentenced Turgai Bayramov, an Azerbaijani who bought a cellphone for the Georgians Khubanov and Aliyev, to two years of imprisonment. Bayramov claimed that Aliyev, Khubanov and two other Georgian citizens rented an apartment near Neftchilar subway station, close to Elmar Huseynov´s house.
Georgian authorities have rejected Azerbaijan´s requests to detain and extradite Khubanov and Aliyev. Judging by reports from Georgia, Georgian authorities do not think evidence for their citizens´ involvement in the murder is sufficient. In its report, the RSF recommended that the authorities fully inform the media and international organizations about the investigation. The authorities have failed to do so. Since the sentencing of Bayramov, the authorities have provided no further information about the course of Elmar Huseynov´s murder investigation.
One year after the murder 
On the 1-st of March, the ruling regime was sharply criticized by participants of forum held in memory of Elmar Huseynov. Journalists, human rights activists, political party leaders and representatives of foreign diplomatic missions attended the event, which was held at the press-center. All who spoke at the forum said when Elmar Huseynov was alive the authorities used all kinds of repression against him, but could not silence him. The regime never forgave him for disclosing the crimes of the ruling clan. The participants of the forum noted that “Ilham Aliyev alone is responsible for Huseynov´s murder, because he has not disclosed the crime. The ruling regime does not want to solve the crime, because it is involved in the murder”.
Since the investigation was handed over to the Ministry of National Security, there has not any information about its course. It can therefore be assumed that Huseynov´s murder will never be solved, but the journalist’s murder did not kill freedom of speech in Azerbaijan concluded the forum participants.
Committee to Protect Journalists
One year after Elmar Huseynov, the founder and editor of the opposition weekly magazine “Monitor,” was slain in the entrance of his apartment building in Baku, no suspects are in custody and many colleagues and relatives believe the government´s investigation is on the wrong track, reads a statement of the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).
“It´s very disheartening that a year has passed and Elmar Huseynov`s killers remain at large,” CPJ´s Executive Director Ann Cooper said. “Many questions are being raised about the direction of this probe, and we call on Azerbaijani authorities to aggressively pursue every lead and bring those responsible to justice.” Under Huseynov`s leadership, the Monitor was sharply critical of the government and President Ilham Aliyev. The weekly had been forced to pay damages in several defamation lawsuits filed by public officials, and was forced to close twice in five years. Because of this record of critical reporting and government retaliation, colleagues and relatives suspect the killing was connected to Huseynov`s critical work and that high-ranking government officials may have had a hand in plotting the murder.
Reporters Without Borders
On the 2-nd of March Reporters Without Borders called on the Azerbaijan authorities, especially President Ilham Aliev, to make every effort to find those who ordered the killing of journalist Elmar Husseynov a year ago, on 2 March 2005. The worldwide press freedom organization said no serious investigation has been done in the year since the murder and urged the prosecutor-general to reopen the case, make a new investigation and tell the media and international organizations about its findings. It noted that Husseynov was one of the country´s best-known and best-respected journalists who had been constantly hounded throughout his career and had several times been warned to stop criticising top government figures.
Reporters Without Borders warned that President Aliev risked turning the international community against him if he allowed impunity to prevail. Azerbaijan should conform to European and international standards of freedom of the press and expression and stop hounding journalists and opposition supporters, it said.
OSCE
On the 2-nd of March 2006, the Head of the OSCE Office in Baku, Ambassador Maurizio Pavesi, called on the Azerbaijani authorities to take all necessary steps in order to bring those responsible for the murder of journalist Elmar Huseynov to justice as soon as possible.
“Unfortunately, one year after the assassination of the founder and editor-in-chief of the independent weekly Monitor, the case remains unresolved,” said Ambassador Pavesi. “We firmly believe that until the real motives of the perpetrators are identified and proven in court, public opinion cannot consider the case closed.” Elmar Huseynov, 38, was shot and killed outside his apartment on 2 March 2005. The Monitor magazine was under constant pressure for the critical nature of some of its articles. It also had difficulties with printing and distribution, and was facing several defamation law suits.
The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Miklos Haraszti, who personally knew Huseynov, added: “Elmar Huseynov´s death was a great loss to the journalistic community of Azerbaijan. He was in the frontline of fighters for strong independent media, a true hero of the free press.”
US Embassy 
The US Ambassador Reno Harnish extended his condolences to Roshana Huseynova and the entire Huseynov family on the behalf of the United States. He said “one year ago today Azereaijan lost one of its leading champions of media freedom in a tragic murder that shocked and saddened us all. Elmar Huseynov was a courageous and talented journalist, and an outspoken voice for democracy in Azerbaijan. His magazine, The Monitor, was a vital contributor to the public dialogue about Azerbaijan´s direction and future. We continue to miss his passion, dedication, and strength. On this, the first anniversary of Elmar´s death, let us all to recommit ourselves to the values he so eloquently articulated: freedom of expression, human rights and the rule of law”.
The U.S. Embassy urges the Azerbaijani government to continue and accelerate its investigation of Elmar Huseynov´s murder and to bring his killer or killers to justice.
IFEX
The International Federation for Freedom of Speech Protection (IFEX) adopted a statement at a February 19-24, 2006 forum in Brussels, Belgium, in which it urged Azerbaijani authorities to take all necessary measures to investigate the 2005 murder of ELMAR Huseynov, the editor of Monitor magazine.
In this statement, IFEX expressed confidence that the murder of Huseynov was a result of his criticism of President Ilham Aliyev and the authorities. It also states that, as of yet, virtually nothing has been done to find those who ordered and committed this crime. To conclude, IFEX reminded Azerbaijan that it must fulfill its commitments to protect the freedom of speech and observe human rights.
The statement was signed by representatives of 36 international journalism and human rights organizations.
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