The representatives of different international organizations, taking part in the annual conference of the Human Rights House Foundation in Zagreb, Croatia, disscussed the uneasy stage the media of Azerbaijan is at. Being seriously concerned with the ongoing attack on media, the representatives of 13 organizations signed the protest letter on the 25-th of November for support of freedom of expression and democracy. The text of the letter is given below. (26-NOV-06)

Placed by Shahla Ismailova/HRH Baku

We, the undersigned, wish to express our deep concern about the recent attacks on freedom of expression and the independence of the media in Azerbaijan. On the 23rd of November 2006, at least 25 activists protesting the increasing pressure and attacks on the country’s independent media were detained. Among those detained were Shaker Iskenderli and Irada Huseynova. The two were sentenced to five and four day’s imprisonment respectively. On Friday the 24th November, the attacks culminated in the government controlled National Television Council’s (NRTC) decision to terminate the only independent Azerbaijani ANS’s Broadcasting license. This also affected BBC, Radio Free Europe and Voice of America, whose transmission goes through the ANS satellite. According to OSCE, the NRTC’s decision was given without any precise reason.

Shortly prior to the NRTC’s decision, the Economic Court # 1 decided to evict several independent media institutions from their offices at 33 Khagadni Street in Baku. Among the evicted were the “Azadlig” and “Bizim Yol” newspapers, the Turan News Agency and the Institute for Reporter Freedom and Safety. Both decisions were implemented immediately.

We are concerned that independent media are not allowed to operate freely. The fact that the decisions came into force immediately suggests that the decisions are part of a political campaign to silence independent, critical voices. The police force’s violent dispersion of the 23 November protests illustrates the unacceptable limitations to freedom of assembly and expression in Azerbaijan, rights that should instead have been protected by the state, in accordance with its obligations to the Council of Europe.  The NRTC’s decision to terminate the ANS’s license and the closure and eviction of the media institutions at 33 Khagani Street both violate Article 10 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which guarantees the freedom of expression. We strongly urge Azerbaijani authorities to let all media operate freely and in accordance with international human rights standards. Finally, we call upon the international business community operating in Azerbaijan to join numerous international organizations´ reactions against violations of freedom of expression to reiterate and emphasize international standards and principles in this regard.

Maria Dahle, Director of the Human Rights House Foundation, Oslo

Srdjan Dizdarevic, Director of the Human Rights House, Sarajevo

Liubov Vinogradova, Director of the Russian Research Center for Human Rights, Moscow

Tin Gazivoda, Member of the Board of the Croatian Helsinki Foundation, Zagreb

Boris Svoskow, emerging Human Rights House, Belarus

Agnieszka Mikulska, Polish Helsinki Foundation of Human Rights, Warsaw

Muhammed Ndifunda, Human Rights House Network, Uganda

Ales Bialiatsky, Human Rights Centre Viasna, Minsk

Henderson Mullin, Index on Censorship, London

Toni Dabeski, emerging Human Rights House, Macedonia

Florian Irminger, President of Fondation expression associative – Maison des Associations, Geneva

Shobhakar Budhathoki, Human Rights Home, Nepal

Kjell Olaf Jensen, Chair of Board, Norwegian PEN