(IFJ/IFEX) – In a 17 October 2000 letter to President Heydar Aliyev, the IFJ expressed its concern over the recent unexpected closure of the Azerbaijan Broadcasting Agency (ABA). According to the IFJ’s information, on 3 October, eighteen minutes before airing, ABA was closed without any warning. The Ministry of Communication demanded the payment of all […]
(IFJ/IFEX) – In a 17 October 2000 letter to President Heydar Aliyev, the IFJ expressed its concern over the recent unexpected closure of the Azerbaijan Broadcasting Agency (ABA).
According to the IFJ’s information, on 3 October, eighteen minutes before airing, ABA was closed without any warning. The Ministry of Communication demanded the payment of all debts. By 9 October, ABA had paid off all of its debts, however, transmission and the legitimate rights of the company have not been restored.
At a press conference on 5 October, the president of the independent entertainment television station, Faiq Zulfuqarov, explained that Minister of Communications Nadir Ahmedov had told him that the ministry was shutting the station down. However, the minister has yet to submit any official papers to that effect. Zulfuqarov believes that the presidential apparatus ordered the closure.
Recommended Action
Send appeals to the president:
– calling on him to do everything in his power to ensure the legitimate rights of ABA and to allow the agency to continue broadcasting as usual
Appeals To
APPEALS TO:His Excellency President Heydar Aliyev
Baku, Azerbaijan
Fax: +99 412 92 06 25
E-mail: [email protected]Please copy appeals to the source if possible.