Eviction of Opposition

A leading opposition party as well as several pro-oppositional information agencies was evicted from their offices on the 25-th of November, a day after the decision of the Economic Court N1. About 100 police surrounded the building housing the editorial offices of Azadlig, while law enforcement officers removed the organizations´ property and carted it away in trucks. Police did not let people in and kept journalists and foreign diplomats, whose countries have expressed concern about freedoms in Azerbaijan, at least 100 meters away. (26-NOV-06)

Written by Shahla Ismailova/HRH Baku, on the basis of materials from Turan Info Agency, the Institute for Reporter Freedom and Safety, Today.Az, Yeni Musavat newspaper; photos by Turan Info Agency and IRFS.

Furniture and equipment of the agencies was being taken to a building far from central Baku where the government says the evicted organizations must relocate.

Friday´s court order came the same day that Azerbaijan´s first independent TV station, ANS television, was pulled from the air by the government. Authorities said the station – two days away from celebrating its 15th anniversary with a gala concert – had not extended its license.

Unpaid rent or campaign to silence dissent
According to the head of the State Property Committee  (SPC) Karam Hasanov, the Baku Mayor´s 1992 decree cannot be considered a  legal basis for the placement of Azadlig newspaper and other structures in this  building. Hasanov said that the SPC brought up such claims not only against Azadlig,  but also against approximately 1,300 other objects.  Almost half of them should be evicted.

However, the head of the Union of Journalists of Azerbaijan, Elchin Shykhlinsky, told the Associated Press “There is no doubt that a deliberate, targeted policy is being carried out with the aim of ensuring that everyone thinks identically – and that if somebody does not, that he stays silent.”

U.S. Ambassador meets with editors
On the 24-th of November the U.S. Ambassador Anne Derse (on the right) received a group of editors from the independent and opposition mass media. Editors informed the ambassador about the freedom of speech and mass media  situation in Azerbaijan. Editors from “Zerkalo”, “Echo”, “Yeni Musavat”, “Baki  Heber”, “Novoye Vrema”,and  “Gun Seher” newspaper participated in the meeting,  as well as the Directors of Turan  news agency and Azadlig newspaper. The Ambassador noted that the USA attaches special attention to the question of democracy and stability in bilateral relations with Azerbaijan. She noticed “Mass media is the cornerstone of democratic freedom and democratic development.  We work with the government and other organizations for the development of mass media and to increase their ethics and professional standards.  Realization of these freedoms is one of the most important priorities of the U.S. government,” she said.

Turan Information Agency
According to the director of Turan Info agency Mehman Aliyev (on the right) the press has been suffering hard times since Azerbaijan gained its independence. Attacks on the mass media are the reaction of state officials, whose crimes and corruption are revealed by journalists. “Azerbaijani authorities do not need the free press, because its existence means disclosure of the corrupt, criminal system,” he said. “A system creating Haji Mamedovs cannot serve the interests of citizens”.
 
Today 49 percent of the population live below the poverty line, national wealth is being embezzled, people are sold bread made of grain intended for fodder, imported goods are being sold at 5-10 times more expensive than their real price and only 2-3 percent of all mass media writes correct information, while all the others serve the authorities and are involved in crime. TV channels are controlled by authorities and misinform the public.
 
There is not the economic base for mass media´s development. Court trials deprive the mass media of their funds, and journalists are subjected to physical violation, they are murdered and threatened.
 
“From the president´s administration, to all ministries and all state officials, they are all involved in businesses, and political leadership is subjected to the methods of illegal enrichment,” Aliyev said. He is convinced that attacks on the free press are not incidental, and the purpose of them is to weaken “Azadlig” and Turan news agency. Unification of efforts of all sound forces is necessary for systematic protection of the mass media. 
 
Support of religious organizations
Attacks on the free press have reached a dangerous point, and we call on society to take decisive measures, reads an appeal that several Islamic Azerbaijani organizations adopted on the 23-rd of November.

The document reads that the attacks on Azadlig newspaper, Turan news agency and ANS TV channel have taken on an intentional character. Violating basic principles, such as freedom of the press and freedom of expression are inadmissible, and such a practice will certainly turn Azerbaijan into a “non-civilized: state.

The appeal was signed by representatives of Juma mosque community, DEVAMM, Religious Journalism, the analytical Center “Deyerler”, “Khazrati fatima” and other organizations.
 
Article 19
ARTICLE 19 has grave concern about the current situation with the press. According to the statement of the Article 19, “the attempt to evict the newspaper as yet another method used by the government to pressure the opposition media in Azerbaijan and to create an atmosphere of intimidation so as to silence alternative voices. It is unfortunate that the government has not been able to address the issue adequately and that the situation deteriorated, forcing the representatives of the opposition to turn to the last resort – hunger strike”.
 
Reporters Without Borders 
The international media watchdog organization Reporters Without Borders points out that “the existence of an opposition press is one of the key criteria for assessing the degree of freedom enjoyed in a society,” the worldwide press freedom organization said. The Azeri opposition press should enjoy the same working conditions as the official press. The trial of strength with independent, national and foreign media and the opposition is a worrying sign of the determination of the government to bring society to heel,” it added.