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The Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS) strongly condemns the lawsuit filed against Institute for Peace and Democracy Director Leyla Yunus by Minister of Interior Ramil Usubov and considers this step the beginning of a campaign of repression to silence human rights defenders.

The Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS) resolutely condemns the 30 December 2008 decision of Azerbaijan’s National Television and Radio Council (NTRC) to cease the FM broadcasts of Azerbaijan’s three foreign radio broadcasters, Radio Free Europe (RFERL), Voice of America (VOA) and the British Broadcasting Company (BBC), as of 1 January 2009.

A coalition of 24 members of the Human Rights House Network, including three Human Rights Houses, have signed a letter to president Aliev in which they ask to review the decision to ban local language FM-broadcasts of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, BBC and Voice of America by the end of 2008. Banning the three stations from FM would severely deteriorate the Azerbaijani media landscape, they say.

On 24 September OSCE presented a report on the press situation in the Republic of Azerbaijan during the pre-election period. The report notes that there is no pluralism and no differences in terms of ideological angle or political ideas in the Azeri press.

On 18 September the Council of Europe (PACE) Pre-election Evaluation Mission conducted a press conference in the office of Council of Europe in the Republic of Azerbaijan. Head of the Mission Andreas Herkel (right) and mission members revealed a statement about the results of their visit to Republic of Azerbaijan.    

On 18 September in the Republic of Azerbaijan Press Council’s office a ceremony was conducted to distribute special vests (illustrated right) designated for media representative covering mass actions to distinguish them from action participants.  OSCE and IRFS have distributed the press vests to the journalists as well.
      

The “Election 2008” NGO Coalition conducted a seminar on the theme “Public Oversight Mechanisms in Free and Fair Elections: abilities, opportunities and problems”. According to director of “Inam” Pluralism Center, Vahid Gazi (right), the role and influence of mass media during election is weak.      

On the eve of upcoming presidential elections the freedom of assembly has deteriorated even on the level of conducting the round tables as almost all the press centers are suddenly “closed for repairs”, small parks are surrounded by decorative walls for “repairs” and even the political forums on internet sites are prohibited until elections.
      
      

The Council of Europe and the Eurasian Lawyers Association in close cooperation with the Republic of Azerbaijan Lawyers Confederation and Baku Law Centre starts publishing the Bulletin of the European Court of Human Rights in Azerbaijani language.