Media freedom in Azerbaijan

Main article: Media of Azerbaijan
2014 Press Freedom Index[1]
  Very serious situation
  Difficult situation
  Noticeable problems
  Satisfactory situation
  Good situation
  Not classified / No data

Media freedom in Azerbaijan is severely limited. Censorship has a long history with variously stringent and lax laws in place at different times.

Despite the existence of independent news outlets, journalists who criticize the government are often severely harassed, imprisoned, and even physically assaulted.[2] In the 2013-14 Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders, Azerbaijan ranked 160th out of an overall total of 180 nations.[3]

Freedom House has reported multiple issues related to freedom of the press in Azerbaijan. According to their 2013 Freedom of the Press report, Azerbaijan's press freedom status is "not free" and Azerbaijan ranks 156th out of 179 countries world-wide.[4]

The three broadcasting stations BBC, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and Voice of America, which were the only ones that ensured political pluralism for its citizens, are banned in Azerbaijan since 2009.[5]

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.[6]

Azerbaijan has the biggest number of journalists imprisoned in Europe and Central Asia in 2015, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, and is the 5th most censored country in the world, ahead of Iran and China.[7]

Most Azerbaijanis receive their information from mainstream television, which is unswervingly pro-government and under strict government control. According a 2012 report of the NGO "Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS)" Azerbaijani citizens are unable to access objective and reliable news on human rights issues relevant to Azerbaijan and the population is under-informed about matters of public interest.[8]

During the last few years, three journalists were killed and several prosecuted in trials described as unfair by international human rights organizations.

Reporters Without Borders has called on the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to firmly condemn Azerbaijan for tolerating escalating press freedom violations.[9]

Activists such as Sing For Democracy and Amnesty International brought up the issues of Azerbaijan's rights as it hosted the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest, after the song Running Scared by duet Ell and Nikki won the 2011 contest (these activists described its title as ironic.)[10] The issues included harassment of journalists, and the organisations met with the EBU on 1 May 2012 to discuss the problems.[11]

Attacks and threats against journalists

Threats, physical attacks, harrasment 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 reocerded 15 attacks on journalists in 2013.

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.[14]

Unfair trials and imprisoned journalists

Azerbaijani authorities have imprisoned several notable journalists. The Committee to Protect Journalists has stated the charges against many journalists are "fabricated" and "politicized".[20] At the end of 2014, eight journalists remained behind bars.[14] 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.[16] Prison conditions for journalists are reported as dire, with routine ill-treatment and denial of medical care.[14] More than 10 journalists remain in jail in Azerbaijan by the end of 2015. They include:[17]

The full list of cases of imprisoned journalists in the last years is the following:

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.

Political interferences

The president Ilham Aliyev and his party control most of media and informations, despite the official 1998 ban on censorship.[14] Political parties use economic pressure to control the media, mostly through advertisement.[14]

Defamation lawsuits

Defamation is a criminal offense punishable by up to three years in prison. As 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.[14]

Cyber-attacks

In the recent years had strengthen the control on the internet activities of bloggers, social-media activists and journalists.[14] The blogger Elsevar Mursalli was imprisoned for alleged drug possession and released in October.[14]

In 2013 the government blocked an image-sharing website about security service. As the same time, Azadliq and RFE/RL (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty) reported cyber-attacks.[14]

Smear campaigns

Internet censorship and surveillance

The Azerbaijani government has increased its control over the internet, harassing social media activists, bloggers an 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.[14]

See also

References

  1. "Press Freedom Index 2014", Reporters Without Borders, 11 May 2014
  2. Azerbaijan: Media Freedoms in Grave Danger, Human Rights Watch, 3 May 2012, retrieved 6 August 2012, ...independent and opposition journalists in Azerbaijan are frequently subject to harassment, intimidation, and physical attacks.
  3. Press Freedom Index 2013/2014, Reporters Without Borders, January 2014, retrieved 6 March 2014
  4. Freedom of the Press 2013", Freedom House, 1 May 2013.
  5. Azerbaijan - Reporters Without Borders. Retrieved 22 February 2013
  6. 10 Most Censored Countries. CPJ. Retrieved 20 February 2013
  7. Committee to Protect Journalists
  8. "Semi-annual Azerbaijan freedom of expression report, January 01 – July 01, 2012" (PDF; 3,0 MB). Retrieved 21 February 2013
  9. 1 2 "Reporters Without Borders". Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  10. Amazing Azerbaijan - Documentary. Retrieved 4 August 2013
  11. EBU holds Workshop on Media Freedom in Azerbaijan. EBU. Retrieved 4 August 2013
  12. "Today.Az - Press Council appeals to National Security Ministry". Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  13. Fatullayev: 'I'm Still Here -- Alive, Working, and Telling the Truth'. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 20 January 2013
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Freedom House, Azerbaijan 2015 Press Freedom report
  15. OSCE RFoM
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of 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
  17. 1 2 OSCE RFoM
  18. OSCE RFoM
  19. OSCE RFoM
  20. 1 2 "In Azerbaijan, crackdown on press as contest nears". Committee to Protect Journalists. 2 April 2012.
  21. http://freedomhouse.org/images/File/Joint%20letter%20to%20COE%20re_%20Eynulla%20Fatullayev%27s%20case.pdf
  22. http://freedomhouse.org/images/File/Letter%20to%20President%20Aliyev.pdf
  23. Barry, Ellen (18 November 2010). "Azerbaijan: Blogger Is Released Early". The New York Times.
  24. "Azerbaijan arrests two Islamic activists". Hürriyet Daily News.
  25. "В Азербайджане осужден главный редактор Islamazeri.az Рамин Байрамов" (in Russian). Kavkazsky Uzel. 7 March 2012.
  26. "Azerbaijan: Authorities determined to silence dissent to ensure successful Eurovision". Amnesty International. 1 May 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 August 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  27. "Azerbaijan: Authorities determined to silence dissent to ensure successful Eurovision" (PDF). Amnesty International. 1 May 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
  28. "In Azerbaijan, reporter convicted on drug charges". The Committee to Protect Journalists. 12 June 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
  29. "Azerbaijan: Reporter Sentenced on Spurious Charges". Human Rights Watch. 12 June 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
  30. "Turkey/Azerbaijan: Journalist Deported, Imprisoned". Human Rights Watch.
  31. "EU condemns arrest of Azerbaijani journalist Rauf Mirkadirov and persecutions towards human rights defender Leyla Yunus". Panorama. 5 May 2014.
  32. 1 2 "Azerbaïdjan: Arbitrary arrest and acts of harassment of Ms. Leyla Yunus and her husband". International Federation for Human Rights. 30 April 2014.
  33. "Azerbaijan jails reporter on espionage charges". Committee to Protect Journalists. 22 April 2014.
  34. "Azerbaijan should release imprisoned journalists ahead of the European Games". Reporters Without Borders.
  35. "Continuing Pressure on Civil Society in Azerbaijan". United States Mission to the OSCE. 15 May 2014.
  36. OSCE RFoM
  37. "Azerbaijan's Leyla Yunus, human rights defender, held". BBC News. 29 April 2014.
  38. "Leyla Yunus's Husband Arrested In Azerbaijan". RFE/RL. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 5 August 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
  39. Document - Azerbaijan: Leyla Yunus in failing health in prison
  40. "PACE: News". Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  41. United States Mission to the OSCE. Ongoing Detentions and Arrests of Peaceful Activists in Azerbaijan
  42. "Azerbaijan: Prominent human rights defender Leyla Yunus, IPD Director and a member of OMCT General Assembly, sentenced to three months pre-trial detention". Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  43. "Nobel Women: Release human rights activist Leyla Yunus". Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  44. "Repression unleashed against information freedom defenders - Reporters Without Borders". Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  45. "Azerbaijan: Leading Rights Defender Arrested - Human Rights Watch". Retrieved 6 March 2015.
  46. OSCE RFoM
  47. "Citing ethnicity, Azerbaijan bars photojournalist." Committee to Protect Journalists. 7 July 2011. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
  48. "Foreign reporters denied entry as territorial dispute escalates." Reporters Without Borders. 6 July 2011. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
  49. "Press Watchdogs Criticize Azerbaijan for Photojournalist Ban." Asbarez. 8 July 2011. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
  50. Ossigeno per l'informazione
  51. "Agos'un Azeri muhabiri hedef gösterildi" (in Turkish). Radikal. 9 October 2014. radikal
  52. 1 2 Tan, Vera (3 November 2015). "Death Threats Keep Azeri Journalist Abroad". Global Journalist.
  53. 1 2 3 "Azerbaijan: Journalist and political analyst Arzu Geybullayeva threatened". PEN international. Archived from the original on March 28, 2015.
  54. "Journalists under threat, the Geybullayeva case". Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso. 22 July 2015.
  55. "Azerbaijan/Turkey: Arzu Geybullayeva, journalist and political analyst, threatened". English PEN.
  56. "Azerbaijan/Turkey: Journalist and Political Analyst Arzu Geybullayeva Threatened". PEN Center USA.
  57. "Azerbaijan: Journalist Arzu Geybulla threatened". Index on Censorship.
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