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2 March 2010 marks the fifth anniversary of the unsolved murder of Monitor editor-in-chief Elmar Huseynov, who was fatally gunned down in his apartment building in a well-organised attack. ARTICLE 19 calls on the Azerbaijani government to redouble its efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice, and to take immediate action to improve freedom of expression in the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Today, it is exactly 5 years ago today since the threats hanging over Azerbaijan’s highly-popular investigative journalist Elmar Huseynov, right, were finally enacted. The 38-year old Huseynov, founder and chief editor of weekly “Monitor”, was shot seven times by a silencer pistol and killed in the stairwells of his apartment in capital Baku on 2 March 2005.

Azerbaijan’s government is considering making changes and amendments to four laws to restrict the operation of the mass media.

Today Youth Club Public Union started Norway Days in the Republic of Azerbaijan which will last one month.

Despite being a member of the Council of Europe for almost ten years, the lack of democracy, a fair judicial system, free media and a free civil society is imminent. Several national and international human rights organizations draw the attention to the serious human rights violations taking place in the Republic of Azerbaijan in a statement issued this week. Right, Azerbaijan’s parliament in session.

The South Caucasus Network of Human Rights Defenders strongly condemns the actions of law enforcement organs of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic against peaceful civilians. On December 27, 2009, during a religious ceremony, the residents of Julfa district Bananiyar village in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic were subjected to physical pressure by the police.

On 25 December 2009 President Ilham Aliyev of the Republic of Azerbaijan signed a decree to pardon 99 prisoners on the occasion of the 31 December – Solidarity Day of World Azerbaijanis and New Year.

Human Rights House Foundation has been co-operating with the human rights defenders and organizations in the Republic of Azerbaijan since 2003. During this period various projects were implemented in collaboration with partner organizations in the Republic of Azerbaijan. Seeing the effectiveness of this collaboration, as well as the need for the House, Human Rights House Foundation officially established its Branch in the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2007. The House was officially launched on 25 April 2009, though. Below is the summary of the activities of the House since its launch.

Yesterday, 31 December, the imprisoned Editor-in-chief of Gundelik Republic of Azerbaijan and Realniy Republic of Azerbaijan newspapers, Eynulla Fatullayev was sentenced to two months pre-trial detention.