Azerbaijan should end the intimidation and harassment of journalists  and civil society activists - Dunja Mijatovic

ArmInfo."The increasing repression faced by journalists and civil society members in Azerbaijan is reason for deep concern", said today the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatovic, referring to the arrests, detentions and judicial harassment that are stifling freedom of expression in the country.

"In recent months, the Azerbaijani authorities have intensified the  crackdown on independent media, civil society and activists who were  legitimately carrying their work or manifesting dissenting opinions  or critical views of the government. In November 2023, at least six  journalists were arrested on dubious charges, including the director  of Abzas Media, Ulvi Hasanli, and its chief editor Sevinj Vagifgyzy,  the founder of Kanal 13 online television channel, Aziz Orujov and  its host, Rufat Muradli, as well as independent journalist Teymur  Karimov.  Several other journalists were questioned and reported  harassment and receiving threats in connection with their  journalistic activities and critical reporting. At the beginning of  March 2024, the police raided the offices of the independent online  television station Toplum TV and detained its founder, Alasgar  Mammadli, and journalist Mushfig Jabbar. I have also been following  with concern the situation of other people detained or harassed for  their legitimate activities in Azerbaijan, including Gubad Ibadoghlu,  an academic and a prominent civil society figure, who is suffering  from several serious health conditions while in detention.

Since 2019, I have repeatedly drawn the attention of the Azerbaijani  authorities to the deteriorating situation in relation to the  enjoyment of freedom of expression and media freedom, as well as a  continuing hostile environment for human rights defenders and civil  society activists who face various forms of harassment, intimidation  and reprisals. Unfortunately, the authorities have continued to show  a stark disregard for their human rights obligations in these fields,  thereby exacerbating the situation within the country.

Last month, a court in Baku sentenced to nine years' imprisonment the  independent journalist Avaz Zeynalli, who I have previously called on  the authorities to release. I have also made an appeal to release a  prominent civil society activist, Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, who had been the  target of reprisals and intimidation over many years, including  criminal prosecution, threats and physical violence, and who remains  behind bars to this day. On several occasions, such as in my July  2023 letter to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan and in  my recently-published Observations, I called on Azerbaijan to improve  adherence to standards relating to freedom of expression, freedom of  peaceful assembly and ensuring that human rights defenders, lawyers  and civil society activists can carry out their legitimate activities  in a safe and enabling environment, without the risk of being  subjected to reprisals, harassment and other obstacles.

I urge the Azerbaijani government to take decisive steps to ensure  full respect of its human rights obligations. This would require the  release of all those, including journalists and civil society  activists, who were imprisoned for their legitimate work or for  expressing dissenting or critical opinions, and creating an enabling  environment for the activities of journalists, civil society and  human rights defenders, including in relation to their enjoyment of  the rights to freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly."