New attack on journalists in Azerbaijan

The pressure of the authoritarian regime in the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan on representatives of the local independent press is becoming intolerable. This is what a group of Nakhichevan journalists says in an address to President Ilkham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, Prosecutor General Zakir Garalov, the offices of the Council of Europe and the OSCE, the ambassadors of the U.S. and other western states, and local and international human rights and journalist organisations. The authors of the address point out that the independent press has been pressurised by the government for many years, but this pressure on journalists has lately reached a peak. Thus, police twice abducted and beat Muhammed Rzayev, a regional correspondent with Azadlyg newspaper, in April and November 2004. Specially instructed groups of women have subjected Malakhat Nasibov, a correspondent with Radio Liberty, to physical abuse. Elman Abbasov, a regional correspondent with Bizim Yol newspaper, has been blackmailed in order to convince him to cooperate with special services.

All complaints of the journalists to judicial and other state agencies have been ignored. As a result, reports of international organisations indicated Nakhichevan as a region with the most intolerable conditions for journalist work. The climax of this abuse of power occurred when Aitekin Alhasly, a journalist with the ANS television company, was deported from Nakhichevan. In doing so, the police used brute force not only with respect to her, but also to other journalists, the address says.

The authors of the address believe Vasif Talybov, head of the republican parliament, to be the direct customer for the pressure on the press. The journalists warn that Talybov and republican law enforcement agencies will be responsible for possible consequences unless measures are taken. The RUH Committee to Protect Journalists also expressed concern about the situation.

• Government launches crackdown

More about freedom of press in Azerbaijan:

• Human Rights Practices in Azerbaijan - 2004