Amnesty International released its annual report on 2006, which emphasized the facts of politically motivated arrests and physical assaults. According to AI, the contracting space for freedom of expression in Azerbaijan, reveals a pattern of encroachment on the rights of members of civil society, and in particular journalists, to freedom of expression. (24-JAN-07)

Placed by HRH Baku/Shahla Ismailova on the basis of press-release and report of Amnesty International.

Laurence Broers, Amnesty International’s expert on Azerbaijan noted “Journalists are only free to express opinions that fall in line with government directives. Anyone daring to voice criticism of the authorities or to expose Azerbaijan’s enduring corruption problem faces an uncertain future, despite President Ilham Aliyev’s assurances that attacks on journalists are unacceptable. 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.”

Amnesty International notes that sanctions against opposition or independent journalists in Azerbaijan have become both more frequent and more severe. This trend has seemingly been prompted by the prominent role of freedom of expression in the changes of regime in Georgia and Ukraine in 2003 and 2004 respectively.

Amnesty International calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to ensure the prompt and conclusive investigation of 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.
 
AI Index:        EUR 55/001/2007; EUR 55/003/2007
For full versions of press-re available on the website of Amnesty International:
http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engeur550032007