Azerbaijan: opposition activist and journalist abducted and beaten

The International Partnership Group for Azerbaijan is deeply concerned by the cycle of violence against journalists and impunity for those who commit such attacks in Azerbaijan, and calls on the authorities to immediately and impartially investigate all instances of violence against journalists and bring the perpetrators to justice.

“The latest attack against Khaziyev is another disturbing example of retaliation against journalists who express critical opinions in Azerbaijan. The authorities must take immediate steps to put an end to this alarming trend”, said Article 19 Executive Director Agnès Callamard.

Europe’s main security and rights body, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), has condemned the assault and called on the government to curtail violence against journalists.

Dunja Mijatovic, the OSCE’s media freedom representative, described the attack on Haziyev as “inadmissible.”

Abducted by six masked men
On 26 March 2011, Azadliq newspaper correspondent Seymur Khaziyev was abducted by six masked assailants who forced him into a bus, drove him to an unknown location and beat him, warning him to “be clever” and not mention Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in his articles.

“Six masked men forced me into a microbus that was waiting there, covered my head with a mask, and began beating and torturing me,” Haziyev told RFE/RL.

“They brought me to a newly-built home and uncovered my head. The sportsmen-like men were speaking Russian. Then they began dragging me in mud, also filming the whole process. They told me to live calmly as do all men in this country. They threatened me I might face more tragedies if I did not obey,” he added.

Haziyev said it was not the first time he had been assaulted because of his articles criticizing President Ilham Aliyev’s domestic or foreign policies.

“I was kidnapped in 2005, was hung by my legs for two hours in a cellar; I was detained in 2010, was beaten in a detention center and was told not to write about Ilham Aliyev,” he said.

Many similar attacks
The abduction and beating of Khaziyev follows many similar attacks against journalists since the March 2005 murder of editor Elmar Huseynov, virtually all of which remain unsolved. The incident also follows a recent wave of arrests of bloggers and youth activists in connection with a series of pro-democracy protests in the country.

“Khaziyev is the latest victim of the poisonous climate that has developed over the past few weeks. Far from fulfilling their obligations to protect media professionals, the Azerbaijani authorities seem so scared by the prospect of a potential popular uprising that they have launched a campaign against oppositionists and free-thinkers, which is starting to produce violent results”, said Reporters Without Borders Secretary-General Jean-François Julliard.

In May 2010 he was beaten by unidentified officials in a police detention facility after he was arrested during an unsanctioned opposition political protest. During the incident, Khaziyev’s attackers questioned him about his criticism of President Aliyev. The officials responsible have not been identified or prosecuted.

Impartial investigation needed
The International Partnership Group for Azerbaijan condemns the use of violence to restrict freedom of expression and the climate of impunity for those who wish to silence critical voices in Azerbaijan.

The group calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to immediately and impartially investigate the attack against Khaziyev and all instances of violence against journalists and prosecute those responsible.

The International Partnership Group for Azerbaijan is a coalition of 20 international NGOs working to promote and protect freedom of expression in Azerbaijan.

Contacts
For more information about the Partnership, please contact Rebecca Vincent at Article 19 on +44 (0)207 324 2500 or rebecca@article19.org.

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Free expression under attack: Azerbaijan’s deteriorating media environment

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