Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS)

We, the undersigned civil society organisations unequivocally condemn the law on civic associations (non-governmental organisations) adopted by Egypt’s Parliament on 15 November 2016. The Parliament has debated and approved the bill in its entirety in record time, and referred it to the State Council for legal review (non-binding on the Parliament in this case). If […]

Less than six weeks away from a constitutional referendum, Azerbaijan unleashes a new wave of repression.

Expert group finds there are strong grounds to believe murder was politically motivated.

Ahead of Baku’s first Grand Prix, activists are calling for a very different type of quick release.

Drug charges are one of the regime’s favourite tools for silencing critical voices. In previous years, youth activists, journalists and opposition representatives have also been arrested on drug charges for criticizing the government. If you criticize the government, then kilograms of drugs will be ‘found’ in your house.

34 IFEX members are supporting RSF’s initiative to create the position of a Special Representative of the UN Secretary General for the Safety of Journalists.

Khadija Ismayilova was a pioneer in exposing large-scale corruption connected to the ruling family in Azerbaijan. The Panama Papers confirm what had previously been revealed by Ismayilova — that the family of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is making frequent use of offshore companies to hide its wealth.

An important visit abroad is making human rights defenders very cynical about Azerbaijan’s ‘amnesty’.

The release of these political prisoners is a step in the right direction, say the Sport for Rights Coalition, but dozens of others remain in Azerbaijani jails.

Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety is in shock over the murder of longtime employee and board member, current Chairman Rasim Aliyev.

The criminal defamation lawsuit brought against Khadija Ismayilova in a private prosecution case, the accusations of treason published in the pro-government media and her recent detention at the Baku Airport are clear indicators that her arrest may be imminent.

Cases of detention, sentencing and imprisonment of dissidents have been taking place during the period that Azerbaijan is meant to be leading the rest of Europe towards a greater respect for human rights.

Civil society groups call for an end to repression of IFEX member the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety, and urge UNESCO to take action to ensure free expression in Azerbaijan.

As Azerbaijan continues to chair the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, authorities have arrested several civil society leaders and forced human rights NGOs to suspend their operations.

Rasul Jafarov was charged with tax evasion and power abuse just days after another prominent human rights defender, Leyla Yunus, was charged with treason in Azerbaijan.

The trumped-up legal assault on Yunus is the most recent in a host of troubling moves by the government that demonstrate how far Azerbaijan has strayed from international standards of human rights and rule of law.