OSCE CONDEMNS AZERBAIJAN FOR PERSECUTION OF JOURNALISTS AND BLOGGERS
Tert.am
16:33 ~U 29.01.10
The situation connected to freedom of the press in Azerbaijan continues
to deteriorate; journalists continue to be persecuted at the hands
of law enforcement bodies, with recent incidents being ordained
criminal acts, said OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media,
Miklos Haraszti, as reported by the Russian-language Caucasian Knot.
Haraszti brought up the cases of bloggers Adnan Hajizade and Emin
Milli as examples, saying that he has often travelled to Azerbaijan and
has had three meetings with President Ilham Aliyev; however, not only
has the issue of freedom of the press not improved, it’s gotten worse.
The OSCE Special Commissioner in Press Freedom thinks that "President
Aliyev can prevent the criminal persecution of journalists by
law enforcement bodies." Furthermore, Haraszti believes that it’s
necessary to remind law enforcement officers that not only are they
not to punish journalists, but they are to protect them.
Haraszti also turned his attention to the situtation of press freedom
in Nakhichevan, noting that he is aware of the "difficult situation"
that exists there. "From a geographical and political perspective, the
situation in that area is very complicated," he added, highlighting
that "if in Azerbaijan there are elements of governing through
authoritarian means, then in Nakhichevan, one can speak of a total
authoritarian regime."
Referring once more to the issue of persecution and killings of
journalists in Azerbaijan, Haraszti noted that "crimes against
journalists cannot be viewed as regular criminal acts, but rather,
as infringements against freedom of speech and democracy, and [we]
must invest additional efforts toward their elimination."
It’s not the first time that international agencies have appealed to
Azerbaijani authorities to release from imprisonment journalists and
bloggers, many of whom Amnesty International has recognized as being
"compassionate prisoners."
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
