Written by Shahla Ismailova/HRH Baku on the basis of releases of Reporters Without Borders and Committee to Protect Journalists

Reporters Without Borders
On the 27-th of November Reporters Without Borders voiced deep concern after police executed a court order evicting the opposition daily Azadlig, the news agency Turan, the newspaper Bizim Yol and the Popular Front of Azerbaijan from their premises in Baku on 24 November and the National Television Council forced the independent TV station ANS to stop broadcasting the same day by withdrawing its licence.

“Although adopted by judicial and administrative authorities, the measures were clearly politically motivated as only opposition, independent or foreign media are involved”, the statement reads. The press freedom organisation added: “Azadlig, with a print run of 9,000, is the main opposition daily, while ANS TV, which recently celebrated its 15th anniversary, is the only independent TV station. It retransmitted the BBC, Radio Free Europe and Voice of America radio stations on its frequency. We call on President Ilham Aliev to use his authority to allow ANS TV to resume broadcasting and to permit media pluralism”. During the removal of equipment to other premises assigned to the media, far from the city centre, which took place on the morning of 25 November, part of Turanôs archives and computer equipment was damaged. Azadlig`s staff found the premises they were assigned were already occupied by people who refused to move out. The independent and opposition media have been staging peaceful protests ever since the threats of eviction and loss of licence were made known. They have also been protesting against arrests, prosecutions, beatings and murders of journalists, as well as economic and administrative harassment of the non-governmental media. Several journalists and editors have been on hunger strike since 9 November, including Azadlig editor Ganimat Zahidov, who had to be rushed to a Baku hospital on 23 November and who is still in a serious condition. Rallies in the city centre have been dispersed by police, who briefly arrested around 70 demonstrators (only 25, according to the police).

The Committee to Protect Journalists
Logo CPJThe Committee to Protect Journalists, located in New York, condemned the government for its crackdown against ANS TV Channel and independent and opposition press organs.

According to the CPJ statement, released on the 28-th of November, “Authorities sealed facilities and confiscated broadcast equipment on November 24 of the Azerbaijan News Service (ANS).” On the same day “a Baku court ordered the immediate eviction of the opposition newspaper Azadlig from a municipally owned building it had occupied rent-free since 1992. Azadlig sublet offices to the Simon-CPJindependent news agency Turan, opposition paper Bizim Yol, and media watchdog Institute for Reporters´ Freedom and Safety (IRFS). These groups were evicted the following day.”

“Given the pattern of harassment we view the closure of ANS and the eviction of opposition news outlets as a clear assault on the independent and opposition media in Azerbaijan,” CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon (on the right) said.