Most Azerbaijanis receive their information from mainstream television, which is unswervingly pro-government and under strict government control. According to a 2012 report of the
NGO
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
"Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS)" Azerbaijani citizens are unable to access objective and reliable news on
human rights
Human rights are Morality, moral principles or Social norm, normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for ce ...
issues relevant to Azerbaijan and the population is under-informed about matters of public interest.
Reporters without Borders
Reporters Without Borders (RWB; french: Reporters sans frontières; RSF) is an international non-profit and non-governmental organization with the stated aim of safeguarding the right to freedom of information. It describes its advocacy as found ...
ranks Azerbaijan at the 167th place (between
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
and
Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
) out of over 180 countries on the
Press Freedom Index
The Press Freedom Index is an annual ranking of countries compiled and published by Reporters Without Borders since 2002 based upon the organisation's own assessment of the countries' press freedom records in the previous year. It intends to ...
, with a score of 58.48.
Freedom House
Freedom House is a non-profit, majority U.S. government funded organization in Washington, D.C., that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom, and human rights. Freedom House was founded in October 1941, and Wendell Wil ...
ranks Azerbaijan as "Not Free".
The authorities use a range of measures to restrict freedom of the media within the country. Opposition and independent media outlets and journalists have their access to print-houses and distribution networks limited, or can find themselves facing defamation charges and crippling fines and are subject to intimidation tactics, including imprisonment on fabricated charges.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is a United States government funded organization that broadcasts and reports news, information, and analysis to countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Caucasus, and the Middle East where it says tha ...
which was the only one that ensured political pluralism for its citizens, is banned in Azerbaijan since 2009.
Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders (RWB; french: Reporters sans frontières; RSF) is an international non-profit and non-governmental organization with the stated aim of safeguarding the right to freedom of information. It describes its advocacy as found ...
has called on the Parliamentary Assembly of the
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold European Convention on Human Rights, human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. ...
(PACE) to firmly condemn Azerbaijan for tolerating escalating press freedom violations.
In 2015 Azerbaijan had the biggest number of journalists imprisoned in Europe and Central Asia, according to the
Committee to Protect Journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is an American independent non-profit, non-governmental organization, based in New York City, New York, with correspondents around the world. CPJ promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journa ...
, and was the 5th most censored country in the world, ahead of
Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
and
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
.
Activists such as
Sing For Democracy and
Amnesty International
Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...
brought up the issues of Azerbaijan's rights as it hosted the
2012 Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest 2012 was the 57th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Baku, Azerbaijan, following the country's victory at the with the song " Running Scared" by the duo Ell & Nikki. It was the first time Azer ...
, after the song
Running Scared by duet
Ell and Nikki won the 2011 contest (these activists described its title as ironic.) The issues included harassment of journalists, and the organisations met with the EBU on 1 May 2012 to discuss the problems.
Background
Newspapers do not face any restriction in their free circulation. All newspapers in Azerbaijan are freely distributed throughout the country. The
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold European Convention on Human Rights, human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. ...
and the
European Commission
The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body o ...
have developed a Joint Program of assistance to Azerbaijan on Freedom of expression and information. American-Azerbaijani Journalistic Academy was established in Azerbaijan with support of
US Embassy
The United States has the second most diplomatic missions of any country in the world after Mainland China, including 166 of the 193 member countries of the United Nations, as well as observer state Vatican City and non-member countries Kosovo a ...
. The main purpose of the Academy is to increase professionalism of journalists and to foster devotion to their profession.
The
OSCE
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world's largest regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization with observer status at the United Nations. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, prom ...
Baku
Baku (, ; az, Bakı ) is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and of the Caucasus region. Baku is located below sea level, which makes it the lowest lying national capital in the world a ...
Office plans to establish a practical and unified communication strategy and information coordination mechanisms for the Government agencies. Through this system Government agencies can ensure increased and sustainable information flow from the authorities to media and public in general.
In order to help journalists several measures were taken by the Government of Azerbaijan. A new building was constructed at the expense of the Government of Azerbaijan and 156 houses were granted to mass-media members without any discrimination in accordance with Presidential Decree dated 22 July 2010 "On measures to strengthen social protection of media members". As well as according to the Presidential Decree of 22 July 2013 "On additional measures to strengthen social protection of media members", public funds allocated for the construction of the next building with 250 houses for journalists
In recent years, the government has increased its control over internet and harassment of internet activists and bloggers. Media freedom groups have expressed particular concern about the government's surveillance of journalists' internet and telephone communications.
The crackdown on journalists is accompanied by the intimidation and arrest of freedom of expression and human rights activists, such as Intigam Aliyev, Rasul Jafarov and Leyle Yunus who were arrested in 2014. Many of them had to leave the country out of concern for their safety.
Assaults on journalists and activists are rarely prosecuted. This is not true for the proceedings issued against journalists that are object of political motivated criminal proceedings carried out in order to influence and hinder their work under pretexts. As a consequence of such an environment,
self-censorship
Self-censorship is the act of censoring or classifying one's own discourse. This is done out of fear of, or deference to, the sensibilities or preferences (actual or perceived) of others and without overt pressure from any specific party or insti ...
is widespread among Azerbaijani journalists.
The majority of print and broadcast media are controlled by the government and its allies. In some cases media outlets are controlled through nominal intermediaries. The lack of laws on transparency of media ownership makes it difficult to identify the true owners of media outlets.
The few independent media outlets are struggling to survive.
Most journalists work without contracts and social security, and receive irregular salaries.
Attacks and threats against journalists
Threats, physical attacks, harassment against journalists are common.
Nearly 100 journalists were victims of physical assault in 2003. More than 50 were attacked covering violent clashes between the security forces and demonstrators after the 2003 presidential elections. The
International Federation of Journalists
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is the largest global union federation of journalists' trade unions in the world. It represents more than 600,000 media workers from 187 organisations in 146 countries.
The IFJ is an associate ...
recorded 15 attacks on journalists in 2013.
* Two opposition journalists were attacked in July 2004.
Aydin Guliyev, editor of the opposition daily Baki Khaber, was abducted and beaten by men that accused him of "not serving his country and Islam" and warned him to stop all journalistic work on 17 July 2004.
*
Elmar Huseynov
Elmar Sabir oglu Huseynov (17 July 1967 – 2 March 2005) was an independent Azerbaijani journalist, widely known for his criticism of Azerbaijani authorities, especially incumbent president Ilham Aliyev and his father and predecessor Heydar Ali ...
, editor-in-chief of the opposition weekly ''Monitor'', was shot dead in 2005, but there has been no prosecution of his murderers.
On the 10th anniversary of his assassination, the
OSCE RFoM The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media functions as a watchdog on media developments in all 57 participating member states of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). The representative provides early warning on viol ...
called for an end to impunity.
* In 2011 the journalists and writer
Rafiq Tağı
Rafiq Tağı, born Rafig Nazir oglu Taghiyev (5 August 1950, Khoshchobanly, Masally District, Azerbaijan — 23 November 2011, Baku, Azerbaijan) was an Azerbaijani short story writer and a journalist who worked for ''Sanat'' newspaper until poli ...
was murdered. Nobody was charged for the homicide.
* In November 2012 the journalists Farahim Ilgaroglu (Yeni Musafat), Etimad Budagov (Turan Information Agency), Amid Suleymanov (Media Forum) and Rasim Aliyev (IRFS) were beaten and arrested by police while covering an opposition rally in Baku, despite being clearly identifiable as members of the press.
[Parliamentary Assembly of the ]Council of Europe
The Council of Europe (CoE; french: Conseil de l'Europe, ) is an international organisation founded in the wake of World War II to uphold European Convention on Human Rights, human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. ...
The Protection of media freedom in Europe
.Background report prepared by Mr William Horsley, special representative for media freedom of the Association of European Journalists
The Association of European Journalists (founded 1961, San Remo) is an organisation promoting the interests of journalists involved in European affairs. It is an NGO in operational relations with UNESCO and enjoys consultative status in the Counc ...
* On 25 April 2014 the
Yeni Musafat Yeni can refer to:
* Yeni, Acıpayam, Turkey
* Yeni, Bago Yeni ( my, ရေနီ; also known as Yay Ni) is a city in the Bago Region of Myanmar, located from Yangon, towards the northern end of the division, with mountain ranges to both east and ...
reporter Farahim Ilgaroglu was attacked outside his home in Baku.
[
* In August 2014, the independent journalist ]Ilgar Nasibov Ilgar or ILGAR may refer to:
People
* Ilgar Gurbanov (born 1986), Azerbaijani footballer
* Ilgar Mamedov, Russian fencer
* Ilgar Mammadov, Azerbaijani politician
Other uses
* Ion Layer Gas Reaction, a non-vacuum technique for thin film deposition ...
was beaten in his office in the Nakhchivan exclave. He lost vision from one eye.
* Rasim Aliyev
Rasim Aliyev ( az, Əliyev Rasim Məmmədəli oğlu; 16 August 1984 – 9 August 2015) was a journalist and human rights activist in Azerbaijan. He was a member of the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS). After a football match b ...
, freelance reported and chairman of the media monitoring group Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS) was brutally beaten by multiple people in Baku on 8 August. He died the following days from injuries caused by the attack. The OSCE RFoM The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media functions as a watchdog on media developments in all 57 participating member states of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). The representative provides early warning on viol ...
protested with the authorities and called upon them to reverse the rapidly deteriorating media freedom situation in Azerbaijan.
* In November 2015 journalists of ITV and ATV channels were attacked during a police raid against alleged Islamic radicals in the village of Nardaran
Nardaran is a settlement and municipality on the Abşeron Peninsula in Baku, Azerbaijan. It has a population of 8,300. Located 25 kilometers northeast of central Baku, it is politically part of the Baku city-subdivision and treated as a suburb. ...
, on the outskirts of Baku. The OSCE RFoM The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media functions as a watchdog on media developments in all 57 participating member states of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). The representative provides early warning on viol ...
protested with the authorities.
* In January 2016 Gunay Ismayilova, a media lawyer and deputy chair of the Institute for Reporter's Freedom and Safety (IRFS) was physically attacked at the entrance of her home in Baku, without suffering serious injuries thanks to the intervention of neighbours.
Other legislative measures - from hooliganism to the possession of drugs and weapons, treason, and tax evasion - are regularly used by authorities to punish and prevent critical reporting.Freedom House
Freedom House is a non-profit, majority U.S. government funded organization in Washington, D.C., that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom, and human rights. Freedom House was founded in October 1941, and Wendell Wil ...
Azerbaijan
2015 Press Freedom report
Unfair trials and imprisoned journalists
Azerbaijani authorities have imprisoned several notable journalists. The Committee to Protect Journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is an American independent non-profit, non-governmental organization, based in New York City, New York, with correspondents around the world. CPJ promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journa ...
has stated the charges against many journalists are "fabricated" and "politicized". At the end of 2014, eight journalists remained behind bars.[
International instances such as the Human Rights Commissioner of the Council of Europe have consistently refuted the justifications by the Azerbaijani authorities that jailed journalists had been prosecuted and sentenced for common crimes.][
Prison conditions for journalists are reported as dire, with routine ill-treatment and denial of medical care.] More than 10 journalists remain in jail in Azerbaijan by the end of 2015. They include:
* Seymur Hazi, a columnist for the newspaper Azadliq, on a charge of hooliganism;
* Parviz Hashimli, a journalist, on charges of smuggling and illegal storage and sale of firearms;
* Nijat Aliyev Nijat may refer to
* Nijat (given name)
*Nijat Abasov, Azerbaijani chess grandmaster
* Nijat Mamedov, Azerbaijani chess grandmaster
*Nijat Kabul F.C., an association football club based in Kabul, Afghanistan
* Nijat Sirel, Turkish sculptor
*Operati ...
, editor-in-chief of the ''azadxeber.az'' news website, on various charges, including drug possession and inciting hatred;
* Rashad Ramazanov, an independent blogger, on charges of illegal storage and sale of drugs.
The full list of cases of imprisoned journalists in the last years is the following:
* In August 2011, authorities imprisoned Ramin Bayramov, the editor of the Islamic news website Islam-Azeri.az. His news website has previously criticized the government of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani authorities first charged Bayramov with "activities hostile to the country" and "incitement to mass disorder." After failing to prove those charges, the authorities then charged him with drugs and weapons possession. The Azerbaijan Department of Homeland Security said it found arms and drugs in his garage, but Bayramov said those were planted there.[
* In February 2012, police arrested Anar Bayramli, a journalist for ]Iran
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
ian television, on a charge of heroin possession. The charge was described by several human rights organizations as fabricated for political reasons.
* In November 2013 online activist Abdul Abilov was arrested on dubious charges of drugs trafficking.[
* In April 2014, prominent human rights defenders ]Leyla Yunus
Leyla Islam qizi Yunusova (née Vəliyeva; born 21 December 1955, in Baku), better known as Leyla Yunus, is an Azerbaijani human rights activist who serves as the director of Institute of Peace and Democracy, a human rights organisation. She is p ...
, at the head of Institute for Peace and Democracy, and her husband Arif Yunus
Arif Yunusov, also known as Arif YunusQuote: ''my surname is being written as Yunus without asking, even though I'm still Yunusov according to my passport''. Original: russian: мою фамилию не спрося стали везде пис ...
were detained by the authorities for allegedly spying for Armenia. Leyla Yunus has been sentenced to three months of pretrial detention, and her husband Arif has separately been jailed. The detention of the Yunus has raised big international outcry. Prominent international organizations such as Amnesty International
Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...
, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is the parliamentary arm of the Council of Europe, a 46-nation international organisation dedicated to upholding human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
The Assembly is made up o ...
, United States Mission to the OSCE, Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, Nobel Women's Initiative
The Nobel Women's Initiative is an international advocacy organisation based in Ottawa, Canada. It was created in 2006 by six female winners of the Nobel Peace Prize to support women's groups around the world in campaigning for justice, peace and ...
, Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders (RWB; french: Reporters sans frontières; RSF) is an international non-profit and non-governmental organization with the stated aim of safeguarding the right to freedom of information. It describes its advocacy as found ...
, Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch (HRW) is an international non-governmental organization, headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual human r ...
and others have harshly condemned their detention as another step in the state crackdown on civil society in Azerbaijan and called for their immediate release.
* In August 2014 Seymur Hezi, critical reporter of ''Azadliq'' was arrested under charges of hooliganism
Hooliganism is disruptive or unlawful behavior such as rioting, bullying and vandalism, usually in connection with crowds at sporting events.
Etymology
There are several theories regarding the origin of the word ''hooliganism,'' which is a d ...
.
* In August 2014 human rights defenders Intiqam Aliyev
Intiqam Kamil oglu Aliyev (sometimes also spelled Intigam) (born 30 November 1962, Pushkin (now Bilasuvar), Azerbaijan SSR) is a human rights defender and lawyer in Azerbaijan.
Along with other human rights activists, Aliyev was jailed in mid-20 ...
, head of Legal Education Society, and Rasul Jafarov
Rasul Jafarov ( az, Rəsul Ağahəsən oğlu Cəfərov; born August 17, 1984) is a lawyer and prominent human rights defender in Azerbaijan.
In April 2015, he was sentenced to six and a half years’ imprisonment. He was considered a prisoner o ...
, head of Human Rights Club, were arrested and the working of these two organizations were impeded.
Refusal of access and arbitrary expulsions
A number of foreign journalists have also been refused entry to Azerbaijan or have been expelled from the country for reporting unfavorably on domestic and foreign matters.
* In June 2011, Diana Markosian, a freelance photographer for ''Bloomberg Markets
''Bloomberg Markets'' is a magazine published six times a year by Bloomberg L.P. as part of Bloomberg News. Aimed at global financial professionals, ''Bloomberg Markets'' publishes articles on the people and issues related to global financial mar ...
'' magazine who holds dual US-Russian citizenship, was denied entry by Azerbaijani border officials at Heydar Aliyev International Airport
Heydar Aliyev International Airport ( az, Heydar Aliyev adına Beynəlxalq Hava Limanı) (IATA: GYD, ICAO: UBBB) is one of the seven international airports serving Azerbaijan. Formerly, it was called Bina International Airport after a suburb of ...
in Baku on account of the fact that she was Armenian
Armenian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent
** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...
.
* In the same month, a journalist for the ''New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' was told that he would not be issued a visa until he could explain why there was so much "negative information" about Azerbaijan in the United States.
*In April 2011, a Swedish TV news crew was arrested and sent back to the airport after covering a demonstration by opposition protesters.[Press Watchdogs Criticize Azerbaijan for Photojournalist Ban]
" ''Asbarez
''Asbarez'' ( hy, Ասպարէզ "Arena") is an Armenian-American bilingual daily newspaper published in Armenian and English in Los Angeles, California, formerly by the Western USA Central Committee of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation. As ...
''. 8 July 2011. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
* The Embassy of Azerbaijan to Italy publishes online a black list
Blacklisting is the action of a group or authority compiling a blacklist (or black list) of people, countries or other entities to be avoided or distrusted as being deemed unacceptable to those making the list. If someone is on a blacklist, t ...
of personae non gratae and uses it to punish journalists who visit the Armenian-occupied territories of Nagorno Karabakh
Nagorno-Karabakh ( ) is a landlocked country, landlocked region in the Transcaucasia, South Caucasus, within the mountainous range of Karabakh, lying between Lower Karabakh and Syunik Province, Syunik, and covering the southeastern range o ...
Political interferences
The president Ilham Aliyev and his party control most of media and informations, despite the official 1998 ban on censorship.
Political parties use economic pressure to control the media, mostly through advertisement.
* After a week of harassments the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS) and the Media Rights Institute were forced to fled the country in August 2014. Obyektiv TV, the TV program of IRFS, was showing stories about freedom of expression and human rights. In the same days the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX), who was supporting independent media, had to close his office.
* In December 2014 the Baku office of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is a United States government funded organization that broadcasts and reports news, information, and analysis to countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Caucasus, and the Middle East where it says tha ...
was closed down by the authorities following a trumped-up criminal case. RFE/RL journalists were individually targeted, taken from homes for police questioning.
Defamation lawsuits
Defamation is a criminal offense punishable by up to three years in prison. At the same time journalists that damage the honor and the dignity of the president can be punished up to two years in prison. The government in this way can make pressure on independent journalists and opposition media. Since 2013 defamation include internet content, too.
*The newspaper '' Azadliq'' was accused several times of defamation and, after having paid high fines, stopped in July 2014 the print version due to financial problems.
Cyber-attacks
In the recent years had strengthen the control on the internet activities of bloggers, social-media activists and journalists. The blogger Elsevar Mursalli was imprisoned for alleged drug possession and released in October.
In 2013 the government blocked an image-sharing website about security service. At the same time, ''Azadliq'' and RFE/RL (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) reported cyber-attacks.
Smear campaigns
* Since 2012 the leading investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova
Khadija Rovshan qizi Ismayilova, also Ismailova, ( az, Xədicə Rövşən qızı İsmayılova, pronounced ; born 27 May 1976) is an Azerbaijani investigative journalist and radio host who is currently working for the Azerbaijani service of Radi ...
of Radio Free Europe
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is a United States government funded organization that broadcasts and reports news, information, and analysis to countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Caucasus, and the Middle East where it says tha ...
had been a frequent target of harassment, blackmail and online smear campaigns.[ Ismaylova was subject to gross violation of her privacy, and secretly-recorded intimate images of her were posted online in March 2013 in an attempt to discredit her. She called upon the European Court of Human Rights to order Azerbaijani authorities to protect her from threats and violences in October 2013.][ In 2014 she was tried and imprisoned.
* Azeri journalist and human rights activist ]Arzu Geybullayeva
Arzu Geybullayeva (), also known as Arzu Geybulla (), is an Azerbaijani columnist, blogger, and journalist for several newspapers and media news outlets including Al Jazeera, Foreign Policy, Global Voices, and Agos. She has also worked with seve ...
has received numerous threats in various social media circles stemming from Azerbaijan over her cooperation with the Armenian newspaper Agos
''Agos'' (in hy, Ակօս, "furrow") is an Armenian bilingual weekly newspaper published in Istanbul, Turkey, established on 5 April 1996.
''Agos'' has both Armenian and Turkish pages as well as an online English edition. Today, the paper h ...
br>Arzu Geybullayeva, freelance journalist
(video) In an interview with Global Voices
Global Voices is an international community of writers, bloggers and digital activists that aim to translate and report on what is being said in citizen media worldwide. It is a non-profit project started at the Berkman Center for Internet and S ...
, she stated that she branded as a "traitor" and that the blackmail escalated into death threats towards her and her family. The threats have caused her to refrain from visiting her native Azerbaijan in a self-imposed exile in Turkey. The threats were largely condemned by numerous international organizations including PEN International
PEN International (known as International PEN until 2010) is a worldwide association of writers, founded in London in 1921 to promote friendship and intellectual co-operation among writers everywhere. The association has autonomous Internationa ...
and its affiliates English PEN
Founded in 1921, English PEN is one of the world's first non-governmental organisations and among the first international bodies advocating for human rights. English PEN was the founding centre of PEN International, a worldwide writers' associati ...
and PEN Center USA
PEN Center USA was a branch of PEN, an international literary and human rights organization. It was one of two PEN International Centers in the United States, the other being the PEN America in New York City. On March 1, 2018, PEN Center USA unifi ...
. PEN has called upon the Azerbaijani and Turkish government to "ensure her safety and to investigate all threats of violence made against her." The Index on Censorship
Index on Censorship is an organization campaigning for freedom of expression, which produces a quarterly magazine of the same name from London. It is directed by the non-profit-making Writers and Scholars International, Ltd (WSI) in association w ...
has also condemned the threats and has called upon the "international community to put pressure on Azerbaijan to respect freedom of expression."
Internet censorship and surveillance
The Azerbaijani government has increased its control over the internet, harassing social media activists, bloggers and online journalists. The email and telephone communications of journalists have been denounced as under surveillance. Real-life intimidations are used to deter online criticism, rather than content blocking. Legal norms criminalising online defamation have deterred social media mobilisation too, together with the arrests of bloggers and activists. DDoS attacks against independent outlets such as ''Azadliq'' and RFE/RL have been reported.[ Some websites are simply blocked, such as 24saat.org, xural.com, and monitortv.info.
On 3 March 2017, ]Mehman Huseynov
Mehman Huseynov (born 24 November 1989) is an Azerbaijani journalist and human rights activist. He was imprisoned from 2017-2019.
Huseynov edits ''SANCAQ'', a socio-political magazine, which uses social media. He also chaired the Institute for ...
, popular video blogger and activist, was arrested in the courtroom of Suraxanı raion
Suraxanı () is a settlement and raion of Baku, Azerbaijan. It has a population of 210,500.
The region is best known for the Fire Temple of Baku on the northern edge of town, a castle-like temple and monastery complex known locally as the ''At ...
court of Baku and sentenced to two years imprisonment on charges of defamation. Huseynov is well known for his investigative journalism, focused on corruption among the Azerbaijani elite. Most recently, he had posted pictures online of luxury properties, which he said were owned by government officials. He has long been subject to pressure by the authorities, and has been under a travel ban for several years.
Transparency of media ownership
Transparency of media ownership refers to the public availability of accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date information about media ownership structures. A legal regime guaranteeing transparency of media ownership makes possible for the public as well as for media authorities to find out who effectively owns, controls and influences the media as well as media influence on political parties or state bodies.
The Law on Mass Media provides that print media ownership must be disclosed publicly. However, the law does not regulate transparency of media's financial resources and flows.
This is a particularly concerning point in a country where, according to some experts, the state and one single oligarch owns more than 90 percent of the country's media.
Overall, according to Access-Info Europe, an NGO advocating for enhancing access to information, the legislative framework for transparency is vague and requires little ownership information to be disclosed.
As a consequence, in practice it is difficult to obtain comprehensive information on the ownership structures of some media outlets, in particular private broadcasters.[ In fact, in June 2012, some amendments to the Law on the Registration of Legal Entities, on Commercial Secrecy and the Law on Obtaining of Information further worsened the transparency situation since information about corporate owners and their shareholdings of private media have been declared commercial secrets and deleted from public websites and registers.][ This makes possible for members of Parliament and other public officials that are banned from owning a business to not to be accountable to public scrutiny.][
There is a lack of political willingness in improving transparency of media ownership in ]Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
, where many media outlets, in particular print media, are controlled by persons or companies connected to the political power, from both and editorial and financial point of view.[ In some cases, this control is exerted through nominal intermediaries. Transparency of media ownership has been a neglected issue amid the frequent and vibrant public debates on the challenges and problems affecting media freedom in the country. Further, the practice, not the law, for broadcast media sees the government to strictly control ownership and any changes in ownership in the broadcast sector. In such a context, the media regulatory authority does not enforce sanctions without the order of the Presidential Administration.][
]
Access to public information
Background
Access to public information and freedom of information
Freedom of information is freedom of a person or people to publish and consume information. Access to information is the ability for an individual to seek, receive and impart information effectively. This sometimes includes "scientific, indigeno ...
(FOI) refer to the right of access to information held by public bodies also known as "right to know". Access to public information is considered of fundamental importance for the effective functioning of democratic systems, as it enhances governments' and public officials' accountability, boosting people participation and allowing their informed participation into public life. The fundamental premise of the right of access to public information is that the information held by governmental institutions is in principle public and may be concealed only on the basis of legitimate reasons which should be detailed in the law.Freedom of Information, UNESCO.
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The Law on Access to Information was adopted in Azerbaijan in 2005. The Law entitles citizens of Azerbaijan to send, both as individuals and legal entities, requests for information to any public institution as well as the agency in charge of managing public finance, and get the corresponding answer. It is an "ambitious information access Law", according to Revenue Watch Institute (RWI). However a monitoring report by RWI and the Open Society Institute
Open Society Foundations (OSF), formerly the Open Society Institute, is a grantmaking network founded and chaired by business magnate George Soros. Open Society Foundations financially supports civil society groups around the world, with a sta ...
(OSI) found that the reality of access to information fell short of the ideal. According to the research carried out, Azerbaijani officials were in poor compliance with the 2005 law - over half of the inquiries made were ignored, while the 65 inquiries that received responses included 16 refusals of information and 3 incomplete answers. Few oil companies responded to the request.
Organisation Article 19 also found that there were inadequate mechanisms to facilitate information requests from the public, and no dedicated public information offices in Ministries. In addition, their report found an entrenched culture of secrecy within Azerbaijani government institutions and a lack of awareness of the right to information among the public.[
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FOI provisions under the law
Under the law, responses to requests for information is due within 7 days and, if necessary, no later than in 24 hours. A public authority may refuse to reply to the request only when it is not the owner of the information, the disclosure of the requested information is restricted by law, the request does not contain information for identifying the information requested, the applicant is not entitled to request such information, or when he/she has not provided information on his/her identity.
The law defines two categories of information, i.e. "public information" and "information with limited access". Two types of information fall within the definition of "information with limited access", as defined by the law: secret information (state secrets), and confidential information (proprietary, professional, commercial, investigative or judicial secrets, and personal information). Since 2012, commercial confidentiality includes also "information about founders (participants) of legal entities and their share in equity capital, and this significantly hampers journalistic anti-corruption investigations".[
The law established the set up of the Commissioner for Information Issues, in charge of supervising the implementation of the law. However, over the six years that followed its establishment, the Office failed to comply with its duties. As a consequence, in 2011 the Parliament amended the relevant legislation, abandoning the idea of the Commissioner position, and instead entrusting the ]Ombudsman
An ombudsman (, also ,), ombud, ombuds, ombudswoman, ombudsperson or public advocate is an official who is usually appointed by the government or by parliament (usually with a significant degree of independence) to investigate complaints and at ...
for Human Rights with the former responsibilities of the Commissioner for Information.[
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Access to public information in practice
Media outlets and journalists face several problems when trying to access public information. Such problems, however, are unevenly distributed as some public authorities offer complete and timely answers to FOI requests in most cases while many other institutions widely ignore journalists' requests.[ Some ministries make decisions to limit the access of journalists to information. Problems of access to public information are not limited to authorities' illegal refusals to respond to information requests. Indeed, journalists' right to access information are violated both by the courts and the Parliament.] For instance, in 2013 there were cases of journalists to whom was impeded to cover trials even though all the hearings were open. In 2013, the Parliament impeded journalists to bring their equipment and smartphones to the meeting rooms following the episode of a video recorded by a journalist on a smartphone and published on the Internet showing MPs voting with e-cards on behalf of their colleagues.[
In January 2014, the Minister of education signed a decree to forbid educational institutions, including universities, to make information public without approval from the Ministry's press service. Acting in compliance with this decree, the security service of the Baku State University impeded journalists from covering a students’ protest. As a result, journalists who wanted to interview students were injured and their equipment was broken.][
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See also
* Media of Azerbaijan
*Human rights in Azerbaijan
International organizations have frequently alleged that Azerbaijan has violated human rights standards established in international law.
Human Rights Watch issued a 2013 report accusing Azerbaijan of imprisoning and harassing political activi ...
* List of journalists killed in Azerbaijan
References
Human rights in Azerbaijan
Mass media in Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of th ...
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