Latest

A delegation of ‘experts’ from the Ministry of Public Security of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is in the Republic of Poland, and according to Polish newspapers its officials are interrogating their compatriots. – They are doing this only in the presence of Polish civil servants – assures the Polish Ministry of Interior and Administration (MSWiA). – That is not true – say the interrogated Vietnamese. The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights has also taken a position in this case. (29-FEB-08)
 

The Kofi Annan-lead negotiations between PNU and ODM have made so little progress for the last couple of weeks that Annan, right, has announced a time-out. And while many have held their breath in hopeful anticipation that a political solution will be found, ever larger parts of the people are losing patience and are arming and organising themselves in tribal armies, ready to strike. (28-FEB-08)
 

Military defence, oil and freedom of expression. How do these interests go together? This is the question for a seminar that the Norwegian Helsinki Committee will host on Wednesday 5 March at the Human Rights House in Oslo. The backdrop is that while Norway and the Russian Federation have developed close relations over their joint commercial interests in developing the Barents region, reports have been ticking in about violations of a broad spectre of human rights, but particularly of journalists´ rights. (25-FEB-08)
 

A video recording about #14 Prison, where imprisoned “Azadlig” newspaper satiric/journalist Sakit Zahidov is being kept, was broadcast in ANS TV on 17 February, prison chief Arshad Hasanov assessed the activity of the prison positively, however according to the records the IRFS has, enough torture and other unpleasant incidents happened in this prison. (24-FEB-08)
   

On 19 February in the International Press Center a coalition of journalist organizations presented “Results of Monitoring of Adherence to Ethics in Azerbaijani Press Project.” According to the monitoring results, ”the major problem of Azerbaijani journalism is that there is not an outlet to sources. Irregardless of being a governmental or non-governmental newspaper, the mass media must adhere to the rules or leave the press.” (22-FEB-08)
    

On 11 February, with the initiative and support from Human Rights House Network, there was conducted the Round Table on “Advocacy Strategies” in the International Press Center of Baku. The round table was lead by Danuta Przywara, director of Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights in Warsaw, and Lubov Vinogradova, the director of Russian Research Center for Human Rights. (13-FEB-08)
    

On 08-12 February 2008 the international delegation of Human Rights House Network had a visit to Republic of Azerbaijan. The delegation represented the Human Rights House in Oslo, Minsk, Warsaw and Moscow. During the 5 days meeting, the HRHN representatives had meetings with representatives of national NGO-s, international organizations, embassies and mass media outlets. (12-FEB-08)
   

On 07 February Parliament Assembly of the Council of Europe Monitoring Committee co-rapporteurs Andreas Herkel and Yevgeniya Jivkova held a press-conference on the results of their trip to Republic of Azerbaijan. Andreas Herkel emphasized that the resolution of the journalists’ problem depends on the government and especially on the president. (08-FEB-08) 
   

According to the annual report 2007 released by Human Rights Watch “The government continues to use defamation and other criminal charges to intimidate independent and opposition journalists, some of whom have also been assaulted by unknown men. Media freedoms rapidly deteriorated in 2007, with at least ten journalists imprisoned.” (02-FEB-08)