Members of HRH Azerbaijan participated in OSCE Warsaw Meeting

The annual Human Dimension Implementation Meeting (HDIM) 2007 was organized on 25 September – 05 October in Warsaw. A statement on human rights and the media situation was made public at the meeting by Fuad Hasanov from Democracy Monitor, member of the HRH Azerbaijan. (08-OCT-07)  
  
Written by Shahla Ismailova/HRH Azerbaijan on the basis of information from Fuad Hasanov and Eldar Zeynalov, photos by Fuad Hasanov, Eldar Zeynalov and Shahla Ismailova

The HDIM is a forum where OSCE participating States discuss the implementation of human dimension commitments that were adopted by consensus at prior OSCE Summits or Ministerial Meetings.

The Human Rights House Azerbaijan was represented at 2007 HDIM by Fuad Hasanov (right), the head of HRH member organization “Democracy Monitor”, who distributed the statement at the Human Dimension Implementation Meeting on behalf of the human rights organizations in Azerbaijan.

According to Fuad Hasanov, the situation with freedom of speech and elections in Azerbaijan, as well as the state with the democratic institutions as the key element of the fundamental freedoms in the OSCE area was reviewed and assessed at the 14th and 16th Working Sessions on October 3 and 4.  

Another member of the HRH Azerbaijan – Eldar Zeynalov (right), the head of the Human Rights Center of Azerbaijan, took part in the HDIM in Warsaw. He also released several statements in connection to the situation with elections, shadow capitals in Azerbaijan, case of Stanislaw Dmitrievsky.

Both human rights defenders drew the attention of the Conference participants to the upcoming presidential elections to be held in 2008 in Azerbaijan. The delegates informed the conference participants about “the total control by the government over the electoral commissions and importance of composition of the electoral commissions on a parity basis, massive falsifications of each elections results including last parliamentary elections, abuse of administrative resources by the ruling party in elections, the election crimes remaining with impunity and dependence of judiciary system” 

Among the other human rights defenders from Azerbaijan, taking part in HDIM were Leyla Yunus, director of the Institute of Peace and Democracy and Intigam Aliyev, head of Legal Enlightening Union.

Extracts from Statement 
by the Group of Human Rights NGOs on the deteriorating situation with the Freedom of Expression in Azerbaijan, signed on 24 September and distributed at 2007 HDIM in Warsaw.

“….The situation with media became considerably deteriorated under Ilham Aliyev’s presidency. As opposition is divided and does not pose any danger to the ruling regime, the authorities mobilize all efforts to silence and destroy the outspoken media. There is a growing environment of state hostility toward independent and opposition media and that raises serious concern about the security of independent journalists in Azerbaijan…..
 
…….Journalists striving to expose the misuse of government power are increasingly living under the threat of politically motivated arrests, physical assault and even death. Azerbaijan is the contracting space for freedom of expression, reveals a pattern of infringement on the rights of members of civil society, and in particular journalists, to freedom of expression…

The Azerbaijani authorities have an obligation to uphold commitments to a healthy environment for the free dissemination of information and exchange of opinions, including those alleging official wrongdoing and abuse of public office. Government officials in Azerbaijan must understand that it is a legitimate function of the media to put their activities under public scrutiny and that such scrutiny must not lead to violence against journalists.

…Absence of Law on Defamation and deliberate delaying of the process of adoption of the Law by the parliament is among the serious problems causing big challenges for freedom of expression. The Azeri government pressures opposition and independent media outlets by limiting their access to printing presses and distribution networks, initiating defamation cases resulting in the imposition of crippling fines, restricting access to official information, and harassing journalists….

…We, the undersigned Azeri human rights NGOs call on the international community, particularly OSCE structures  to press the Azeri government to ensure the prompt and conclusive investigation of the case of murdered chief –editor Elmar Huseynov and assaults on journalists, to institute measures to tackle institutionalized impunity for harassment of journalists by law enforcement officials, to end the use of criminal defamation suits as a means to silence dissent and to ensure that due process is observed in the enforcement of media industry standards”.