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States News Service
June 13, 2012 Wednesday
AZERBAIJAN DETENTION COULD HINT AT POST-EUROVISION CRACKDOWN
BAKU
The following information was released by Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty:
When the popular Eurovision song contest was held in the Azerbaijani
capital last month, opposition activists viewed it as a golden
opportunity to focus international attention on the country's sullied
human rights record.
Now that Eurovision is over and the world's attention has turned
elsewhere, the same activists fear the government of President Ilham
Aliyev is looking for revenge.
On June 12, photographer and Facebook activist Mehman Huseynov was
summoned the a Baku police station. After three hours of
interrogation, police decided to hold him, pending the filing of
charges of disturbing public order and disobeying police.
Interior Ministry spokesman Orkhan Mansurzade told RFE/RL Azerbaijan
Service that Huseynov resisted police during an unsanctioned
opposition demonstration on May 21, during the Eurovision contest.
"[Huseynov] grossly violated public order [and] openly disrespected
society by using abusive language against police officials,"
Mansurzade said. "He committed hooligan acts. Criminal proceedings
were launched against Mehman Huseynov on May 29 on charges of
hooliganism."
'One Should Not Be Silent'
If convicted, Huseynov could face up to a year in prison.
His brother Emin, head of the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and
Safety (IRFS), said Mehman Huseynov is being targeted because of his
role in a protest called Sing For Democracy, which was timed to
coincide with Eurovision.
"Mehman Huseynov thinks his detention is connected with his
journalistic activity and his participation in the pre-Eurovision Sing
For Democracy human rights campaign," Emin Huseynov said. "He also
said his arrest is a political order coming from the presidential
administration. He does not exclude that President Aliyev might
personally stand behind the arrest."
WATCH: RFE/RL Azerbaijani Service footage of Huseynov reporting to a
Baku police station and being taken into detention on June 12:
""
The Huseynov brothers attracted attention during Eurovision when
Swedish diva Loreen, who went on to win the competition, visited them
at the IRFS offices on May 25 and told journalists: "Human rights are
violated in Azerbaijan every day. One should not be silent about such
things."
Swelling Ranks
Huseynov is not the only opposition activist to have been targeted by
the authorities since Eurovision left Baku.
Also on June 13, Natiq Adilov, a journalist and press spokesman for
the opposition Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (APFP), was summoned by
police and interrogated about a May 24 protest in front of
Azerbaijan's state Public Television center. Adilov maintains he was
covering the event as a journalist but told RFE/RL that police accused
him of "calling for mass demonstrations."
Adilov was released after police advised him to quit the APFP and stop
his "antigovernment activity."
These developments come one week after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton visited Baku and urged Aliyev's government to respect human
rights. She met with prominent opposition activist Bakhtiyar Hajiyev,
who was released from prison just two days earlier. He had been jailed
on charges of evading compulsory military service that his colleagues
say were prompted by his political activity.
Clinton praised Hajiyev's prodemocracy work and said she hopes he
"will be able to continue his work without interference."
Not Entirely Unexpected
The Azerbaijani authorities appeared to telegraph their intention to
move against pro-democracy activists just days after Eurovision's May
26 finale.
Speaking at a conference of pro-government NGOs, presidential adviser
Ali Hasanov, lambasted the opposition for presenting Azerbaijan in a
bad light.
"Those opposition activists, journalists, newspapers should not dare
appear in society. They should be ashamed to appear in the streets. I
am not saying we have to move against them," Hasanov said. "But public
hatred should be demonstrated against them so that they understand
that when foreign journalists come, they should not show them the
ruined asphalt in some microdistrict. Instead, they should take the
foreigners to a camp for displaced persons [from the Nagorno-Karabakh
region]."
From: A. Papazian
June 13, 2012 Wednesday
AZERBAIJAN DETENTION COULD HINT AT POST-EUROVISION CRACKDOWN
BAKU
The following information was released by Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty:
When the popular Eurovision song contest was held in the Azerbaijani
capital last month, opposition activists viewed it as a golden
opportunity to focus international attention on the country's sullied
human rights record.
Now that Eurovision is over and the world's attention has turned
elsewhere, the same activists fear the government of President Ilham
Aliyev is looking for revenge.
On June 12, photographer and Facebook activist Mehman Huseynov was
summoned the a Baku police station. After three hours of
interrogation, police decided to hold him, pending the filing of
charges of disturbing public order and disobeying police.
Interior Ministry spokesman Orkhan Mansurzade told RFE/RL Azerbaijan
Service that Huseynov resisted police during an unsanctioned
opposition demonstration on May 21, during the Eurovision contest.
"[Huseynov] grossly violated public order [and] openly disrespected
society by using abusive language against police officials,"
Mansurzade said. "He committed hooligan acts. Criminal proceedings
were launched against Mehman Huseynov on May 29 on charges of
hooliganism."
'One Should Not Be Silent'
If convicted, Huseynov could face up to a year in prison.
His brother Emin, head of the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and
Safety (IRFS), said Mehman Huseynov is being targeted because of his
role in a protest called Sing For Democracy, which was timed to
coincide with Eurovision.
"Mehman Huseynov thinks his detention is connected with his
journalistic activity and his participation in the pre-Eurovision Sing
For Democracy human rights campaign," Emin Huseynov said. "He also
said his arrest is a political order coming from the presidential
administration. He does not exclude that President Aliyev might
personally stand behind the arrest."
WATCH: RFE/RL Azerbaijani Service footage of Huseynov reporting to a
Baku police station and being taken into detention on June 12:
""
The Huseynov brothers attracted attention during Eurovision when
Swedish diva Loreen, who went on to win the competition, visited them
at the IRFS offices on May 25 and told journalists: "Human rights are
violated in Azerbaijan every day. One should not be silent about such
things."
Swelling Ranks
Huseynov is not the only opposition activist to have been targeted by
the authorities since Eurovision left Baku.
Also on June 13, Natiq Adilov, a journalist and press spokesman for
the opposition Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (APFP), was summoned by
police and interrogated about a May 24 protest in front of
Azerbaijan's state Public Television center. Adilov maintains he was
covering the event as a journalist but told RFE/RL that police accused
him of "calling for mass demonstrations."
Adilov was released after police advised him to quit the APFP and stop
his "antigovernment activity."
These developments come one week after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton visited Baku and urged Aliyev's government to respect human
rights. She met with prominent opposition activist Bakhtiyar Hajiyev,
who was released from prison just two days earlier. He had been jailed
on charges of evading compulsory military service that his colleagues
say were prompted by his political activity.
Clinton praised Hajiyev's prodemocracy work and said she hopes he
"will be able to continue his work without interference."
Not Entirely Unexpected
The Azerbaijani authorities appeared to telegraph their intention to
move against pro-democracy activists just days after Eurovision's May
26 finale.
Speaking at a conference of pro-government NGOs, presidential adviser
Ali Hasanov, lambasted the opposition for presenting Azerbaijan in a
bad light.
"Those opposition activists, journalists, newspapers should not dare
appear in society. They should be ashamed to appear in the streets. I
am not saying we have to move against them," Hasanov said. "But public
hatred should be demonstrated against them so that they understand
that when foreign journalists come, they should not show them the
ruined asphalt in some microdistrict. Instead, they should take the
foreigners to a camp for displaced persons [from the Nagorno-Karabakh
region]."
From: A. Papazian