Idrak Abbasov- another journalist attacked and severaly beaten

Here is an image showing journalist Idrak Abbasov beaten today and who is currently hospitalized for his injuries. His attackers are free, probably looking for their new pray. 

Photo source

Ironically today was the day Idrak Abbasov received the Guardian journalism prize at the Index on Censorship free expression award.

The reason for his attack- simple and straightforward. He was doing something that wasn't pleasing to the employees and representatives of the State Oil Company (SOCAR). His attack is only one of the many and those to come in Azerbaijan, a country where democracy and freedom prospers on daily basis if you listen to some of the official statements.

This is a perfect example of prospering freedom in this case- anyone could basically beat up anyone- that is the notion and understanding of freedom...

***
OSCE just issued a statement regarding the beating. Read the full statement here.

"Azerbaijan: Freedom of Expression under Fire"

The video below is featured on Freedom House page, under the section covering the organization's most recent report on Azerbaijan: "Azerbaijan: Freedom of Expression under Fire". It is the end product of a three day mission organized by the International Partnership Group for Azerbaijan's freedom of expression held in September of last year. 

I came across this video as I was updating another report on the situation of freedom of association and assembly in Azerbaijan. 

The report, 

[...] details many challenges that Azerbaijan's bloggers and journalists must endure to carry out their work, including hurdles both legal and societal; critical reporting can lead to prison time; journalists have also been victims of violence, while perpetrators    go unpunished.  

The report is also available in Azerbaijani and the summary of findings are available in Russian. 

Mr. President pardons many this year but not Eynulla Fatullayev

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And this year as well, we wont be seeing Eynulla Fatullayev coming home and celebrating 2011 with his family and friends. 

Yesterday, on December 29th, President of Azerbaijan, llham Aliyev pardoned many but not Eynulla. More so, none of the 20 political prisoners are on the list of those who were pardoned. 

According to Saida Gocamanli, member of the Azerbaijan Right's Protection Monitoring Center 

"We hoped that at least Eynulla Fatullayev will join the ranks of freed prisoners. We congratulate all those who have been pardoned but we are saddened that none of the 20 political prisoners who are on our list were freed" 

in her interview with Radio Free Europe Radio Liberty Azerbaijan Service [AZ].

"We are back and thank you"

As a follow up to my most recent post, here is a video of Emin and Adnan in English, extending their gratitudes to everyone who helped, supported, and believed in their case. 

I would also like to extend my personal gratitude to the European Stability Initiative and all my colleagues- a think tank I worked at not so long ago- for making Emin and Adnan's story heard, speaking of their case openly in their newsletters and for simply following the story. Thank you guys! Much appreciated!

'Azerbaijan: Journalists facing violence and prosecution'

Human Rights Watch

Human Rights Watch, released a new report on Azerbaijan today. The report, "Beaten, Blacklisted and Behind Bars: the Vanishing Space for Freedom of Expression in Azerbaijan" documents Azerbaijani authorities persisting efforts to limit freedom of expression in the country. 

The report calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to:

[...] free imprisoned journalists and repeal criminal libel laws that allow public officials and others to bring criminal charges against journalists and activists. It should also prosecute violence or threats against reporters, which now go unpunished.

Hunger strike in Azerbaijan

Following ECHR's (European Court of Human Rights) final "decision calling for an immediate release of Eynulla Fatullayev, edit-in-chief of 'Gundelik Azerbaijan' and 'Realniy Azerbaycan' newspapers" issued on October 4th and Azerbaijani authorities so far failing to execute the decision, a number of journalists united in a hunger strike.

A tweet feed from ljmaximus  informed of another three writers joining (replacing the previous three journalists) the strike today.

On October 4th, ECHR ruled its decision as final under Article 44.3, paragraph C of the European Convention of Human Rights.

Happy Birthday My Dear Friend!

Today, Emin turns 31. But he wont have a birthday celebration with his friends and family. Instead, he will be celebrating his new age behind bars at a prison facility in Azerbaijan. On November 11th its going to be a year since Emin Milli and Adnan Hajizada were officially sentenced to imprisonment on faked charges of hooliganism.

Since then much has been voiced with regard to their personalities, activities, lives. There were those who supported their imprisonment, saying they deserved the sentence. Others raised their concerns. But at the end of the day, it doesn't matter, who says what, how, and when. What remains to be important is that both Emin and Adnan were individuals just like any of us. Who had their own beliefs, ideas, values and passion for things, some will never understand. They wanted to make a difference, something many people won't dare of doing because of the fear of being different from the rest. 

They are men of courage and truth. And that is a fact and will remain so for many of their friends and supporters. Unlike many other "official" hooligans, thieves, criminals, they didn't buy their way out. They chose to be fare and just but no one cared about that because there is one thing that judicial or any other power in Azerbaijan cares about and its money. And the more, the better. So while Vusal and Babek (the alleged victims of the attack Emin and Adnan were framed under) got out because they were paid to do so, our friends were arrested.

And that is the truth about Azerbaijan- there is no decency left. And it doesn't matter how many billions of dollars one spends to make the country look pretty, because no money will hide the ugly reality and truth the country lives in. Its a one big lie covered with fake truth!

Happy Birthday my dear friend! I want to wish you many happy returns but in freedom and in a country hopefully that will change one day...

Political prisoners in Azerbaijan- Emin Milli and Adnan Hajizada- Radio Netherlands Worldwide 

Support video prepared by friends of Adnan and Emin

London cabs, exaggerated promo videos and lives of barons in Azerbaijan

In a little more than a month, Azerbaijan will head to the polls in the parliamentary elections scheduled for November 7th. And while much of the country's pressing problems- human rights violations, limited freedom of speech, violence against women, journalist and bloggers behind bars- remain unrecognized, the authorities instead focus on much more important things. 

For instance, purchasing London style Cabs for the booming capital. So far, only 12 of these cabbies have been purchased. Their testing was done by no other than the president himself. Of course He cares for the safety of his people, so we couldn't have expected less. 

Funny, how little do international as well as English human rights institutions statements mean in this country and yet when it comes to luxury, much of European and English couture is imported immediately.  

Oh well, lets see who will be riding those taxies as I doubt a pensioner with 85EUR a month will be able to afford that cab ride. Nor will any of the majority of folks living in the capital. I guess thats what luxury is for, its just never meant for everyone. 

Ah, lives of barons, if only it was possible to sneak in and see how they go on by their daily lives. The life must be so tough on them- driving in fancy cars, wearing luxury cloths, not caring, not thinking, occasionally having to speak here and there empty words, granting empty promises. 

Oh, and then those Azerbaijan promotion ads, all they show are parks and olympic centers and then more parks, and more olympic centers.

Thats the life in Azerbaijan... Who cares about human rights when you have Burberries and Channels because its so much important, so much more valuable... 

'Azerbaijan: Journalists facing violence and prosecution'

Human Rights Watch

Human Rights Watch, released a new report on Azerbaijan today. The report, "Beaten, Blacklisted and Behind Bars: the Vanishing Space for Freedom of Expression in Azerbaijan" documents Azerbaijani authorities persisting efforts to limit freedom of expression in the country. 

The report calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to:

[...] free imprisoned journalists and repeal criminal libel laws that allow public officials and others to bring criminal charges against journalists and activists. It should also prosecute violence or threats against reporters, which now go unpunished.

Dissidents or not, the truth is- there is no freedom of expression in Azerbaijan

Azerbaijani authorities like to claim that Azerbaijan has no issues with freedom of expression, that we have free press, and above all, all rights are respected. In fact, if it was up to the local authorities, we live in utopia and everything is absolutely perfect. But unlike authorities, civil society activists, human rights proponents and the rest of the sane population (of which there is little left) claim otherwise. In other words, there is no such thing as freedom of expression in Azerbaijan. 

The reality of the situation was recently examined by Article 19, an international human rights organization and launched in a report "Living as Dissidents: Freedom of Expression in Azerbaijan" on September 10, 2010. According to this report, "freedom of expression situation [in Azerbaijan] has deteriorated over the past five years and should be considered among the most pressing human rights concerns in the country". Some of the most pressing issues are violence against journalists and harassment against government critics, registration problems of human rights NGOs, use of criminal defamation provisions to imprison journalists and misuse of criminal law for political purposes and etc. The list is long and nothing to be proud of.

It is not a surprise, that the report was released just in time of approaching parliamentary elections, scheduled for November 7. Given that ever since last parliamentary elections (held in 2005) much has changed. 

However, just as all the previous international reports, it is likely that this report as well will have little if any effect or as a matter of fact any positive/ pressing result on the Azerbaijani authorities. In fact, at a time when Article 19 was issuing this report, Azerbaijani authorities were busy celebrating Azerbaijan's new achievement- the highest flag pole in the world. 

If only half of the spending on projects like this were transferred to things people really need in this country. I doubt that average Azeri with a salary of 85EUR a month cares whether its country has the highest flag pole or not. That wont make any of his daily surviving troubles go away or make his family any happier. Or will it?!

"Down with YAPartheid"

I wish I could have come up with this slogan, but its not mine. The author of these words is a journalist who is still in prison despite numerous international calls to release him. His name is Eynulla Fatullayev. And these words are part of campaign he started in prison.

According to his lawyer Elchin Sadigov, the imprisoned journalist decided to "engage in an active election campaign". 

The campaign came at a time when pro- government Azerbaijan media has been actively involved in attacking Eynulla whilst his stay in prison. 

The other election campaign slogan is "For your and my freedom"- the motto of Monitor magazine, an independent magazine that was critical of the regime and whose editor in chief was shot dead by his apartment in 2005. 

***YAP is the name of the ruling party: Yeni Azerbaycan Partiyasi (New Azerbaijan Party)

Human Rights in Azerbaijan...

On December 26th, a group of teenagers in Naxchivan (an autonomous enclave) was arrested for cutting electricity cords to a building where government organized holiday celebrations were going to take place. Boys were released the same day, beaten up and with their heads shaved. Boys' parents were threatened by local authorities to stop talking about the 'unfortunate' events or otherwise they would be confined to psychiatric hospital.

Elvin Huseynov, who is one of the boys, was arrested recently once again, as he was trying to send a telegram about the violations to parliament member, representing Naxchivan. The telegram never reached its destination. Elvin's father was placed into a psychiatric clinic at the age of 72, at the moment he is missing, just as another Naxchivan's 71 year old resident, who disappeared after sending a letter to the President himself about the rights' violations (the whereabouts of that letter are also unknown).

Is Azerbaijan really a democracy? Or is it simply a country full of thugs who run around beating up people, arresting, detaining, or torturing them? One thing is certain, it is a country where human rights are not respected unless you belong to certain family clans...