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Amnesty International shortlists Yemeni and Azerbaijani journalists for 2008 “Special Award for Human Rights Journalism Under Threat”, part of the organisation´s annual media awards. Abdul Karim al-Khaiwani (Yemen) and Aqil Xalil (Azerbaijan) shortlisted for this award. (05-JUN-08)
     

A contest carried out with financial support from Open Society Institute of the Media Rights Center – Assistance Fund on the topic of “Journalist investigations on the situation of human rights” has concluded. The presentation of prizes took place in the International Press Center on 26 May. (28-MAY-08)
   

On 19 May 2008 PACE Monitoring Group held the press conference on the results of Monitoring Committee of PACE. During this conference co-rapporteurs of Parliament Assembly of the Council of Europe Andreas Herkel and Yevgeniya Jivkova’s touched the question, related to the freedom of speech situation in the Republic of Azerbaijan and criminal cases against journalists in the country. (21-MAY-08)
   

Basing on minor technical pretexts, the Ministry of Justice liquidated the registration of Election Monitoring Center on 14 April 2008, three months after the organization got registration. According to the chairman of the EMC, Anar Mammadli (right) “the closure of the center is directly connected with the 15 October presidential elections. We have right to freedom of association. Utilizing this right we’ll continue our work with or without registration”. (16-MAY-08)  
    

The Society for Humanitarian Researches produced a film “Nagorno Karabagh – consulting with the society”. The film is based on the questions and answers of political scientists and representatives of NGO-s, participating in the peacemaking process related to the issue of Nagorno Karabagh. It is planned to translate the film to Russian, English and German languages. The first presentation of the film will be held in the Republic of Turkey and Germany. (08-MAY-08)
     

The World Press Freedom Day was celebrated in the Republic of Azerbaijan by a number of events. The importance of press freedom for the country democracy was underlined at all the organized events and the current situation with press in the Republic of Azerbaijan was assessed negatively. As part of the arrangements, the graves of late journalists Najaf Najafov and Elmar Huseynov were visited by media representatives, human rights defenders and political activists. (04-MAY-08)
   

cThe Human Rights Center of Republic of Azerbaijan, one of the most active human rights NGOs in the country, celebrates its 15-th Anniversary today. The organization, headed by Eldar Zeynalov (right), aimed at the struggle against political censorship and made a major contribution to the movement of journalists, human rights defenders which ended up in the liquidation of the political censorship. Currently, the HRCA is a significant actor in monitoring, education and protection of human rights in the Republic of Azerbaijan. (29-APR-08)
  

Three Azerbaijani writers have been recognized for persevering in their work despite political persecution and imprisonment by being awarded Hellman/Hammett Grants. The Hellman/Hammett grants, administered by Human Rights Watch, are given annually to writers who face political persecution for their work. Eynulla Fatullayev, editor-in-chief of Realni Republic of Azerbaijan and Gundalik Republic of Azerbaijan newspapers; Mirza Sakit, writer for Azadlig daily; and Ganimed Zahidov, editor-in-chief of the same paper, were awarded Hellmann/Hammett grants on April 24, 2008 in recognition of their journalism. (26-APR-08)
 

The special representative of OSCE for Human Rights Miklos Haraszti, right, took a strong critical position on the situation on mass media in the Republic of Azerbaijan, in early April in Baku. On Eurasia Regional Forum on Democratic Media, held in Paris in 17 April, Haraszti expressed his opinion about the situation of media in the Republic of Azerbaijan, “Here government uses soviet methods like holding narcotics, threatening with terror, and hooliganism charges to arrest “unwanted” journalists.” (21-APR)