The Baku-based human rights organization “Against Violence” Human Rights Center (AVHRC), which primarily monitors the cases of violence, harassment and torture throughout the country, on Friday appealed to Azerbaijan’s law enforcement bodies to find out and punish the perpetrators of the last assaults on two opposition-minded journalists. (31 July 2004)

 

Appeal

In its letter to Azerbaijan law-enforcement bodies the AVHRC urged  for a comprehensive investigation of the assaults both on Aydin Guliyev –editor-in-chief of the newspaper Baki-Khabar (Baku-News) –who was abducted and beaten up by four unknown men in capital Baku and Eynulla Fatullayev, — the journalist for opposition’s magazine, Monitor,—who was physically attacked by two unknown men in a daytime in a crowd area of capital Baku. 

Assaults on opposition journalists    

  The editor in chief of Baku-Kheber newspaper Aydin Guliyev was kidnapped in 3rd microdistrict   at 10.15 pm on 17 July. Masked kidnappers seated Guliyev into RAF   microbus and drove into unknown direction. Guliyev was beaten and insulted   during 3 hours in the car. He was demanded to stop critical publications   in his newspaper. 

Eynulla  Fatullayev, two young men attacked him at 18.30 on 26 July  and knocked him with a heavy solid substance to the head near Monolit building area adjacent to the crowded Fountain Square of Baku.

Supression of freedom of expression

The “Against Violence” Human Rights Center demands the law enforcement authorities of Azerbaijan to take due measures for maintaining the safety of Aydin Guliyev, Eynulla Fatullayev and all journalists operating in the country.

The AVHRC insists on authorities must give a proper assessment to these facts and make every effort for prevention of such cases in the future. The AVHRC  estimates the incident  as the  suppression of the freedom of _expression in Azerbaijan   and attempted introduction of self-censorship in mass media by means of   frightening media.  The AVHRC is requesting heads of the   General Prosecutor Administration and Interior Ministry to investigate the   incident and take the appropriate measures for finding and punishing the guilty.  

 
Court trials on opposition leaders

Furthermore, the AVHRC called on the Azerbaijani authorities to ensure that seven leading members of the political opposition in Azerbaijan receive a fair trial in line with international standards.
“These kinds of abuse, maltreatment and torture are against basic human rights principles endorsed by Azerbaijan when it signed and ratified the European Convention on Human Rights and if substantiated cast serious doubts on Azerbaijan’s commitment to the respect of human rights and the rule of law,” the organization said.
The AVHRC is further concerned about reports from earlier trials of opposition activists, accused of having taken part in the post-election violence, that evidence based on confessions extracted under torture was admitted in court. The organization reminds the Azerbaijani authorities of their obligations under international fair trial standards not to admit such evidence in court and to promptly and impartially investigate all allegations of torture and ill-treatment and bring the perpetrators to justice.