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AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY MUST ACT ON AZERBAIJAN CRACKDOWN
Noyan Tapan
16.11.2011
The international community must not turn a blind eye to human rights
violations in Azerbaijan, Amnesty International said today in a new
report cataloguing a clampdown on dissent since protests erupted
in March.
The spring that never blossomed: Freedoms suppressed in Azerbaijan,
details a wave of intimidation and arrests around protests against
corruption and the increasing suppression of independent media,
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and opposition parties.
Since then, youth activists and opposition figures have been jailed
on arbitrary or trumped up charges while journalists and human rights
defenders have been threatened and harassed.
Amnesty International considers 17 people convicted around the time
of the protests to be prisoners of conscience and asks for their
immediate release.
"The clampdown has sent out a clear and calculated message - that
public expression of dissent will not be tolerated, and nor will
any attempt to galvanise public opinion against the current regime,"
said Natalia Nozadze, Amnesty International's Azerbaijan researcher.
"The European Union and other international partners of Azerbaijan must
take every opportunity to press for the release of the prisoners of
conscience and to put an end to the suppression of peaceful protest,
critical opinion and political opposition."
Hundreds of people gathered in the streets of the capital Baku in
March and April this year demanding democratic reforms and greater
respect for human rights. Inspired by mass protests in the Middle East
and North Africa, opposition activists used social media to organize
and disseminate information.
The Azerbaijani authorities responded by banning the protests and
harassing and arresting bloggers and activists.
Following the protests 14 activists and members of opposition
political parties were convicted of "organising and participating in
public disorder" and sentenced to up to 3 years in prison. Amnesty
International believes that there is no evidence that any of the
imprisoned opposition supporters were engaged in anything more than
the legitimate exercise of their right to freedom of expression and
association in seeking to organise peaceful protests in central Baku.
The crackdown intensified the already heavy-handed approach of the
authorities.
Criminal and civil defamation charges continue to be used to silence
critical media, while foreign media outlets were banned from national
airwaves in 2009.
Ganimat Zahid, the editor of pro-opposition newspaper Azadlig told
Amnesty International: "The government is tightening the noose on
any form of communication by restricting access to information,
printing paper and distribution outlets for independent media thus
leaving the public in informational black-out. Increasingly, we rely
on social media to fill the vacuum for informed debate."
The government is also currently considering laws that could
potentially restrict web users' access to information and criminalizing
"misinformation", further restricting online freedom of expression.
"The cumulative effect of these practices, together with the
long-standing impunity of the authorities for such actions, has
instilled a climate of fear and self-censorship in Azerbaijani society,
which is stalling, indeed reversing, the country's transition to a
stable democracy," said Natalia Nozadze.
"In oil-rich Azerbaijan, 20 years of independence, economic
prosperity and relative stability have failed to translate into
greater fundamental freedoms for its citizens while the consolidation
of authoritarian rule over the last decade has been largely ignored
by the outside world."
"The Azerbaijan authorities must reverse this trend and their
international partners must make it clear that they will not do deals
with those who carry out human rights violations."
Cases
In February 2011, history student and opposition activist Jabbar
Savalan was arrested after re-posting critical of the government
articles on Facebook and using the social media to call for protests
inspired by those in the Middle East and North Africa. He was beaten
while in police custody to force him to sign a false confession and
was sentenced to over two years in prison for the alleged possession
of marijuana. Amnesty International considers him to be a prisoner
of conscience.
Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, an opposition activist and co-founder of the
Facebook group calling for the 11 March virtual protest against
government corruption and oppression, was arrested three times
starting in November 2010 for evading conscription and failing to
register with the police. While in police custody he was punched,
strangled and threatened with rape, allegations which have not been
investigated. On 18 May 2011, Bakhtiyar was convicted of evading
military service and convicted to three years in prison. Amnesty
International considers him to be a prisoner of conscience.
Noyan Tapan
16.11.2011
The international community must not turn a blind eye to human rights
violations in Azerbaijan, Amnesty International said today in a new
report cataloguing a clampdown on dissent since protests erupted
in March.
The spring that never blossomed: Freedoms suppressed in Azerbaijan,
details a wave of intimidation and arrests around protests against
corruption and the increasing suppression of independent media,
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and opposition parties.
Since then, youth activists and opposition figures have been jailed
on arbitrary or trumped up charges while journalists and human rights
defenders have been threatened and harassed.
Amnesty International considers 17 people convicted around the time
of the protests to be prisoners of conscience and asks for their
immediate release.
"The clampdown has sent out a clear and calculated message - that
public expression of dissent will not be tolerated, and nor will
any attempt to galvanise public opinion against the current regime,"
said Natalia Nozadze, Amnesty International's Azerbaijan researcher.
"The European Union and other international partners of Azerbaijan must
take every opportunity to press for the release of the prisoners of
conscience and to put an end to the suppression of peaceful protest,
critical opinion and political opposition."
Hundreds of people gathered in the streets of the capital Baku in
March and April this year demanding democratic reforms and greater
respect for human rights. Inspired by mass protests in the Middle East
and North Africa, opposition activists used social media to organize
and disseminate information.
The Azerbaijani authorities responded by banning the protests and
harassing and arresting bloggers and activists.
Following the protests 14 activists and members of opposition
political parties were convicted of "organising and participating in
public disorder" and sentenced to up to 3 years in prison. Amnesty
International believes that there is no evidence that any of the
imprisoned opposition supporters were engaged in anything more than
the legitimate exercise of their right to freedom of expression and
association in seeking to organise peaceful protests in central Baku.
The crackdown intensified the already heavy-handed approach of the
authorities.
Criminal and civil defamation charges continue to be used to silence
critical media, while foreign media outlets were banned from national
airwaves in 2009.
Ganimat Zahid, the editor of pro-opposition newspaper Azadlig told
Amnesty International: "The government is tightening the noose on
any form of communication by restricting access to information,
printing paper and distribution outlets for independent media thus
leaving the public in informational black-out. Increasingly, we rely
on social media to fill the vacuum for informed debate."
The government is also currently considering laws that could
potentially restrict web users' access to information and criminalizing
"misinformation", further restricting online freedom of expression.
"The cumulative effect of these practices, together with the
long-standing impunity of the authorities for such actions, has
instilled a climate of fear and self-censorship in Azerbaijani society,
which is stalling, indeed reversing, the country's transition to a
stable democracy," said Natalia Nozadze.
"In oil-rich Azerbaijan, 20 years of independence, economic
prosperity and relative stability have failed to translate into
greater fundamental freedoms for its citizens while the consolidation
of authoritarian rule over the last decade has been largely ignored
by the outside world."
"The Azerbaijan authorities must reverse this trend and their
international partners must make it clear that they will not do deals
with those who carry out human rights violations."
Cases
In February 2011, history student and opposition activist Jabbar
Savalan was arrested after re-posting critical of the government
articles on Facebook and using the social media to call for protests
inspired by those in the Middle East and North Africa. He was beaten
while in police custody to force him to sign a false confession and
was sentenced to over two years in prison for the alleged possession
of marijuana. Amnesty International considers him to be a prisoner
of conscience.
Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, an opposition activist and co-founder of the
Facebook group calling for the 11 March virtual protest against
government corruption and oppression, was arrested three times
starting in November 2010 for evading conscription and failing to
register with the police. While in police custody he was punched,
strangled and threatened with rape, allegations which have not been
investigated. On 18 May 2011, Bakhtiyar was convicted of evading
military service and convicted to three years in prison. Amnesty
International considers him to be a prisoner of conscience.