US DEPARTMENT STATE ANNOUNCES ITS 2005 REPORT ON HUMAN RIGHTS PRACTICES IN AZERBAIJAN

Azeri Press Agency, Azerbaijan
March 9 2006

The US Department of State today made public its 2005 report on human
rights practices in Azerbaijan (APA).

The following human rights problems were reported in Azerbaijan:
restricted right of citizens to peacefully change their government,
torture and beating of persons in custody; arbitrary arrest
and detention; particularly of political opponents; harsh and
life-threatening prison conditions; police impunity; lengthy pre-trial
detention; pervasive corruption in the judiciary; some restrictions of
privacy rights; periodic interference with media freedom;excessive use
of force to disperse demonstrations; limited instances of violence
and societal discrimination against women;trafficking in persons;
limited workers rights.

The report says that Armenian forces continued to occupy some of the
countrys territory, including Nagorno-Karabakh. The government did
not exercise any control over developments in territories occupied
by Armenian forces. The report also touched on the arrest of Haji
Mammadov, former official of the Interior Ministry and the murder of
the journalist Elmar Huseynov.

It is also stated in the report that during the year the government
did not punish MIA officials for the beating, torture, and verbal abuse
of persons detained in the aftermath of the 2003 presidential election.

The report also touched on arrest of Yeni Fikir opposition youth
activists Ruslan Bashirli, Said Nuriyev, Ramin Tagiyev as well
as former state officials Akif Muradverdiyev, Ali Insanov, Farhad
Aliyev, Fikrat Yusifov, Fikrat Sadigov, Rafig Aliyev and academic
Eldar Salayev.

According to the report, although the law provides for an independent
judiciary, in practice judges did not function independently of the
executive branch. The judiciary was corrupt and inefficient. The
executive branch exerts a strong influence over the judiciary.

The report also says that a large number of opposition and independent
media outlets operated during the year. The print media enjoyed more
freedom than the broadcast media and expressed a wide variety of
views on government policies. However, most broadcast media adhered
to a pro-government line in their news coverage. There were over 40
active independent newspapers and magazines and 23 television and 12
radio stations. There also were 10 national state newspapers and 80
newspapers funded by city or district level officials. In contrast
to pro-government newspapers, the distribution of many opposition
newspapers was limited to the capital, and their circulation was low.

Harassment and violence against individual journalists continued. The
Media Council, an independent NGO, reported that 40 journalists faced
physical attack or harassment during the 6-month period preceding
the November parliamentary election.

During the year the government expelled four students from Baku
State University, the State Economic University, and the Pedagogical
University due to their political activities in support of opposition
parties.

The report said that the 6 November parliamentary elections did not
meet a number of the countrys OSCE commitments and COE standards for
democratic elections. Local executive authorities frequently misused
administrative resources to the benefit of pro-government candidates.

Local authorities also restricted freedom of assembly for opposition
candidates. Police used disproportionate force to disrupt rallies.

State and private television news coverage of the campaign period
disproportionately favored pro-government candidates, according to
the report.

The report also touched on President Ilham Aliyevs decrees on
improvement of election practices and use of finger inking procedure in
voting. It was stated that the government complied with the Electoral
Code.