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International Organizations Sharply Criticize Repressions in Azerbaijan
BAKU. June 17, 2012. Major international organizations have issued
statements sharply criticizing the Azerbaijani authorities for
persecution of photo-reporter Mehman Huseynov, journalist Anar
Bayramli and others. These arrests are seen as the post-Eurovision
crackdown against civil society activists and the press that was
expected by many observers.
The Freedom House statement on this issue expressed "serious concern"
with these arrests and harassment. "The Azerbaijani authorities are
obliged to follow their obligations to the international community and
their own laws and respect the freedom of speech and expression," said
Representative Susan Cork.
The International Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called on
authorities to immediately stop the criminal case against Mehman
Huseynov. They regard his arrest as an outright suppression of the
rights and freedoms of the press. CPJ notes that after the Eurovision
Contest, officials announced a hunt for those involved in the project
"Sing in the name of democracy' and those who denounced the violation
of human rights and freedoms, and called for a boycott of the ESC in
Baku. The command for an attack on civil society activists and the
press was unprecedented in its nature and came in a public speech
given by the main ideologue of the Presidential Administration, Ali
Hasanov, when he openly called for expression of `public hatred'
against the dissidents in Azerbaijan.
Another organization - Human Rights Watch - said in a statement that
the prosecution of Huseynov by the authorities was a response to the
campaign "Sing for the sake of democracy" and criticism of Eurovision,
as well as publications in the media of photo materials about police
violence against the opposition. Criminal cases and arrests of
Huseynov and others were a message from the authorities to other
opposition activists to punish them, crush their will to demand their
rights and defend freedom in the country, according to Human Rights
Watch. In this regard, the organization called on international
partners, in particular the European Broadcasting Union, to demand
that Azerbaijani authorities put an end to this vicious practice, and
to prevent further prosecution of the opposition. (Turan)
BAKU. June 17, 2012. Major international organizations have issued
statements sharply criticizing the Azerbaijani authorities for
persecution of photo-reporter Mehman Huseynov, journalist Anar
Bayramli and others. These arrests are seen as the post-Eurovision
crackdown against civil society activists and the press that was
expected by many observers.
The Freedom House statement on this issue expressed "serious concern"
with these arrests and harassment. "The Azerbaijani authorities are
obliged to follow their obligations to the international community and
their own laws and respect the freedom of speech and expression," said
Representative Susan Cork.
The International Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called on
authorities to immediately stop the criminal case against Mehman
Huseynov. They regard his arrest as an outright suppression of the
rights and freedoms of the press. CPJ notes that after the Eurovision
Contest, officials announced a hunt for those involved in the project
"Sing in the name of democracy' and those who denounced the violation
of human rights and freedoms, and called for a boycott of the ESC in
Baku. The command for an attack on civil society activists and the
press was unprecedented in its nature and came in a public speech
given by the main ideologue of the Presidential Administration, Ali
Hasanov, when he openly called for expression of `public hatred'
against the dissidents in Azerbaijan.
Another organization - Human Rights Watch - said in a statement that
the prosecution of Huseynov by the authorities was a response to the
campaign "Sing for the sake of democracy" and criticism of Eurovision,
as well as publications in the media of photo materials about police
violence against the opposition. Criminal cases and arrests of
Huseynov and others were a message from the authorities to other
opposition activists to punish them, crush their will to demand their
rights and defend freedom in the country, according to Human Rights
Watch. In this regard, the organization called on international
partners, in particular the European Broadcasting Union, to demand
that Azerbaijani authorities put an end to this vicious practice, and
to prevent further prosecution of the opposition. (Turan)