Tweet
THE OBSERVATORY: JOINT STATEMENT ON AZERBAIJAN UNDER ITEM 4 OF 28TH SESSION OF THE UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
28th SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
Geneva (Switzerland)
17 March 2015
Item 4
General debate
Joint NGOs' statement
This joint statement is delivered by the Human Rights House Foundation
on behalf of joint NGOs coalition, composed as following:
Civicus, Article 19, Human Rights Watch, the International Service for
Human Rights (ISHR), the International Federation for Human Rights
(FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture in the framework
of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders.
Thank you, Mr Chairperson,
Since the presidential election in October 2013, Azerbaijan is
leading a crackdown against human rights defenders and, more generally,
against any independent voices in the country. As a result, unrelenting
crackdown on human rights, key leaders of human rights organisations
are behind bars, as well as leading journalists and other peaceful
activists, including many activists of the youth movement NIDA.
Among those detained are several of the country's most prominent human
rights defenders and journalists. In July and August 2014,[including]
Leyla Yunus[1], Director of the Institute for Peace and Democracy, and
her husband, Arif Yunus, were arrested and charged with state treason,
large-scale fraud, forgery, tax evasion and illegal entrepreneurship
under the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan. In August,
[as well as] Rasul Jafarov[2], a human rights defender behind the
"Sing for Democracy" campaign. The human rights lawyer Intigam Aliyev,
President of the Legal Education Society, who assisted in bringing at
least 130 cases to the European Court of Human Rights, is also arrested
and charged with tax evasion, illegal entrepreneurship, and abuse
of authority. We are particularly worried by the health situation of
Leyla Yunus and Intigam Aliyev who require immediate medical support.
New amendments to registration and funding laws systematically impede
access to domestic and foreign funding, including by requiring
government licensing of all donors, and approval of each funded
project, which cuts off practically all funding for NGOs that work
to hold the government accountable. The amendments also provide the
government with enormous discretion to dissolve, impose financial
penalties on, and freeze the assets of CSOs for minor infractions of
existing laws. Of particular concern are provisions, which prevent
national organizations from accessing local cash donations, and allow
the government to freeze or deny international funding to domestic CSOs
if an activity is determined to "undermine the interests of the state."
As a result, many NGOs have been forced to cease their activities
and are subjected to legal prosecution. Bank accounts of more than a
dozen NGOs are blocked and their offices are being searched and in some
cases sealed. Many more human rights defenders have fled the country.
Since May 2014, authorities have frozen the bank accounts of at
least 50 independent organizations and, in many cases, oftheir staff
members,while numerous others have been interrogated and otherwise
harassed, forcing them to suspend their activities. In addition,
several international NGOs operating in Azerbaijan, with longstanding
partnerships with local CSOs in the country, have been forced to
leave Azerbaijan or suspend operations
.
Mr Chairperson,
The crackdown is not limited to NGO leaders but also aims at targeting
independent media in the country.
On 8 August2014, police raided the offices of the Institute for
Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS), a leading media rights NGO in
the country,lead by Emin Huseynov who is facing similar charges as
the previously mentioned human rights defenders.[3] The Institute is
now effectively closed.
On 27 December 2014, police raided the Baku office of Radio Free
Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)and briefly detained dozens of its
staff members, questioning many. RFE/RL (it) has since been forced
to suspend its activities in Azerbaijan and is being investigated
by the authorities. In addition, on 3 February 2015, President Ilham
Aliyev approved far reaching amendments to the law on Media and Mass
Information permitting Azerbaijan's Ministry of Justice to petition
the court requesting closure of any media outlet that receives foreign
funding or found guilty of defamation twice.The RFE Office in Baku
is since closed.
At least 12 journalists remain in prison in Azerbaijan. Most recently,
on 29 January 2015, [amongst them] well-known journalist Seymour
Hazi was sentenced to five years in prison on spurious 'hooliganism'
charges, after already spending five months in pre-trial detention.
Hazi, a reporter with the opposition daily Azadlig, is a vocal
critic of government repression of civil society. Two days earlier,
on 27 January 2015, the pre-trial detention of award-winning (and)
the investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova was extended for two
months. The authorities arrested Ismayilova on 5 December 2014 on
dubious charges of incitement to attempt a suicide and later, on 13
February 2015, charged her with tax evasion, illegal entrepreneurship,
and abuse of authority.
Mr Chairperson,
We call uponthe Republic of Azerbaijan to put an end to the systematic
punishment of leaders of civil society, and to immediately and
unconditionally release all human rights defenders, journalists and
activists held in custody, and drop all charges brought against other
human rights defenders, journalists and activists. We further call
upon Azerbaijan to cooperate with independent human rights mechanisms,
including by ensuring their ability to conduct country visits, and are
in this manner satisfied to see that the Subcommittee on Prevention
of Torture (SPT) has scheduled a new visit to the country, following
the one it had to cancel in September 2014,[4] and to implement
legislative changes as recommended by such bodies, including the
Venice Commission and the Commissioner of the Council of Europe.
Thank you, Mr Chairperson.
________________________________
[1] See also: http://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/20302.html.
[2] See also: http://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/20306.html.
[3] More information about Emin Huseynov available
athttp://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/20730.html.
[4] See the Subcommittee's press release of 17 September 2014
athttp://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=15047&LangID=E
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
28th SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
Geneva (Switzerland)
17 March 2015
Item 4
General debate
Joint NGOs' statement
This joint statement is delivered by the Human Rights House Foundation
on behalf of joint NGOs coalition, composed as following:
Civicus, Article 19, Human Rights Watch, the International Service for
Human Rights (ISHR), the International Federation for Human Rights
(FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture in the framework
of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders.
Thank you, Mr Chairperson,
Since the presidential election in October 2013, Azerbaijan is
leading a crackdown against human rights defenders and, more generally,
against any independent voices in the country. As a result, unrelenting
crackdown on human rights, key leaders of human rights organisations
are behind bars, as well as leading journalists and other peaceful
activists, including many activists of the youth movement NIDA.
Among those detained are several of the country's most prominent human
rights defenders and journalists. In July and August 2014,[including]
Leyla Yunus[1], Director of the Institute for Peace and Democracy, and
her husband, Arif Yunus, were arrested and charged with state treason,
large-scale fraud, forgery, tax evasion and illegal entrepreneurship
under the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan. In August,
[as well as] Rasul Jafarov[2], a human rights defender behind the
"Sing for Democracy" campaign. The human rights lawyer Intigam Aliyev,
President of the Legal Education Society, who assisted in bringing at
least 130 cases to the European Court of Human Rights, is also arrested
and charged with tax evasion, illegal entrepreneurship, and abuse
of authority. We are particularly worried by the health situation of
Leyla Yunus and Intigam Aliyev who require immediate medical support.
New amendments to registration and funding laws systematically impede
access to domestic and foreign funding, including by requiring
government licensing of all donors, and approval of each funded
project, which cuts off practically all funding for NGOs that work
to hold the government accountable. The amendments also provide the
government with enormous discretion to dissolve, impose financial
penalties on, and freeze the assets of CSOs for minor infractions of
existing laws. Of particular concern are provisions, which prevent
national organizations from accessing local cash donations, and allow
the government to freeze or deny international funding to domestic CSOs
if an activity is determined to "undermine the interests of the state."
As a result, many NGOs have been forced to cease their activities
and are subjected to legal prosecution. Bank accounts of more than a
dozen NGOs are blocked and their offices are being searched and in some
cases sealed. Many more human rights defenders have fled the country.
Since May 2014, authorities have frozen the bank accounts of at
least 50 independent organizations and, in many cases, oftheir staff
members,while numerous others have been interrogated and otherwise
harassed, forcing them to suspend their activities. In addition,
several international NGOs operating in Azerbaijan, with longstanding
partnerships with local CSOs in the country, have been forced to
leave Azerbaijan or suspend operations
.
Mr Chairperson,
The crackdown is not limited to NGO leaders but also aims at targeting
independent media in the country.
On 8 August2014, police raided the offices of the Institute for
Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS), a leading media rights NGO in
the country,lead by Emin Huseynov who is facing similar charges as
the previously mentioned human rights defenders.[3] The Institute is
now effectively closed.
On 27 December 2014, police raided the Baku office of Radio Free
Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)and briefly detained dozens of its
staff members, questioning many. RFE/RL (it) has since been forced
to suspend its activities in Azerbaijan and is being investigated
by the authorities. In addition, on 3 February 2015, President Ilham
Aliyev approved far reaching amendments to the law on Media and Mass
Information permitting Azerbaijan's Ministry of Justice to petition
the court requesting closure of any media outlet that receives foreign
funding or found guilty of defamation twice.The RFE Office in Baku
is since closed.
At least 12 journalists remain in prison in Azerbaijan. Most recently,
on 29 January 2015, [amongst them] well-known journalist Seymour
Hazi was sentenced to five years in prison on spurious 'hooliganism'
charges, after already spending five months in pre-trial detention.
Hazi, a reporter with the opposition daily Azadlig, is a vocal
critic of government repression of civil society. Two days earlier,
on 27 January 2015, the pre-trial detention of award-winning (and)
the investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova was extended for two
months. The authorities arrested Ismayilova on 5 December 2014 on
dubious charges of incitement to attempt a suicide and later, on 13
February 2015, charged her with tax evasion, illegal entrepreneurship,
and abuse of authority.
Mr Chairperson,
We call uponthe Republic of Azerbaijan to put an end to the systematic
punishment of leaders of civil society, and to immediately and
unconditionally release all human rights defenders, journalists and
activists held in custody, and drop all charges brought against other
human rights defenders, journalists and activists. We further call
upon Azerbaijan to cooperate with independent human rights mechanisms,
including by ensuring their ability to conduct country visits, and are
in this manner satisfied to see that the Subcommittee on Prevention
of Torture (SPT) has scheduled a new visit to the country, following
the one it had to cancel in September 2014,[4] and to implement
legislative changes as recommended by such bodies, including the
Venice Commission and the Commissioner of the Council of Europe.
Thank you, Mr Chairperson.
________________________________
[1] See also: http://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/20302.html.
[2] See also: http://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/20306.html.
[3] More information about Emin Huseynov available
athttp://humanrightshouse.org/Articles/20730.html.
[4] See the Subcommittee's press release of 17 September 2014
athttp://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=15047&LangID=E
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress