(RSF/IFEX) – On 30 January 2003, RSF denounced the government’s harassment of independent media and appealed to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of Europe to play a more active role in encouraging the authorities to cease their violations of international press freedom standards. “More than 30 formal complaints […]
(RSF/IFEX) – On 30 January 2003, RSF denounced the government’s harassment of independent media and appealed to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of Europe to play a more active role in encouraging the authorities to cease their violations of international press freedom standards.
“More than 30 formal complaints were filed against the independent media last year, mostly by government employees,” noted RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard. “Harassment of the media is simply unacceptable coming from the authorities of a country that had assured European bodies that it would do everything it could to respect press freedom,” Ménard added. He called on OSCE press freedom representative Freimut Duve and Council of Europe Secretary-General Walter Schwimmer to insist that the authorities keep their promises and end their attacks on the independent media.
Several journalists and human rights activists staged a hunger strike in Azerbaijan from 22 to 28 January to protest judicial harassment of the independent daily “Yeni Musavat” and draw international attention to press freedom violations.
“Yeni Musavat” editor-in-chief Rauf Arifoglu launched the protest by denouncing the 13 lawsuits initiated by the authorities in recent months against the paper. Authorities have been trying to close Arifoglu’s paper and have been threatening his staff. “Yeni Musavat” has been fined three times. The fines total 100,000 euros (US$108,000).
Other participants in the hunger strike included Democratic Journalists’ League President Yadigar Mamedli, Turan news agency head Mahman Aliyev, Azad Soz Journalists’ Union President Ganimat Zahidov, Azerbaijan Journalists’ Confederation Secretary-General Azer Hasret, “Yeni Musavat” employee Zahid Gazanfaroglu, Zohrab Ismayil, publisher of the daily “Azadlig”, Asif Marazli, editor-in-chief of the weekly “Tazadlar”, Azad Soz Journalists’ Union member Mohammed Arsoy, and Sanan Hasanoglu, editor-in-chief of “Compatriot”, a magazine for expatriate Azerbaijanis.
On 28 January, the authorities also closed a newsstand outside Baku University belonging to the Gaya distribution company, which sold opposition magazines not available at state-owned newsstands. City officials described the move as an “urban embellishment measure,” but a nearby kiosk owned by the government was left in place. Of the original 20 Gaya newsstands in the city, Baku now has only a dozen left.
Several hundred journalists demonstrated in the streets of Baku on 12 December 2002 to denounce the renewed pressure on the independent media and in early December, the Council of Editors asked the OSCE and the Council of Europe to intervene in the situation.
