The Voice of Mirza Xazar

23 April 2008

Baku, Azerbaijan

JOURNALIST APPEALS TO PRESS COUNCIL ABOUT DEATH THREAT
GANIMAT ZAHID WILL ATTEND APPELLATE COURT HEARING
PARDONED JOURNALIST CALLED TO POLICE DEPARTMENT
"GUN SAHAR" NEWSPAPER EMPLOYEE INTERROGATED BY PROSECUTOR
COMMITTEE AGAINST TORTURE CHAIRMAN VISITS MUSHFIG HUSEYNOV IN PRISON
PARENTS OF IMPRISONED JOURNALIST WANT THEIR SON PARDONED
COURT TRIAL BETWEEN ANS AND "GUNDALIK AZERBAIJAN" CONTINUE
ONE DAY GIVEN FOR PLAINTIFF IN CAUSE ON INSULT TO MAKE UP HIS MIND
JOURNALISTS SHOULD BE RELEASED BY SUMMER SESSION OF PACE
CRIMES AGAINST JOURNALISTS' IDENTITY SHOULD NOT GO UNPUNISHED
"AGO" GROUP REVEALS REPORT ABOUT AZERBAIJAN

JOURNALIST APPEALS TO PRESS COUNCIL ABOUT DEATH THREAT

"Bizim Yol" Newspaper correspondent Natig Adilov told the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety today that he has appealed to the Press Council about the threatening phone calls he received.

According to Adilov, the Press Council is aware of the threats, and told him that it will inform the Ministry of Interior and other law enforcement agencies.

Recall that Adilov received two threatening phone calls, one on 21 April and one on 22 April, from the phone number (050)224-0315. In the calls an unknown person threatened to kill him.

An employee from IRFS tried to call the number from which Adilov reported receiving the threatening calls, however the person who answered the phone directed inappropriate expressions at Adilov, called the journalist is a "blackmailer," and said that the he plans to appeal to the prosecutor about this matter.

GANIMAT ZAHID WILL ATTEND APPELLATE COURT HEARING

Imprisoned "Azadlig" Newspaper Editor-in-Chief Ganimat (Zahidov) Zahid will participate in the Appellate Court hearing on his appeal. Defense lawyer Alaif Hasanov told this to the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety yesterday (22 April). Hasanov stated that although G. Zahid does not expect a fair decision from the Appellate Court, he decided to participate in the hearing after some consultations. A. Hasanov added that G. Zahid's health is normal and he is satisfied with the conditions of his detainment.

Recall that "Azadlig" Newspaper Editor-in-Chief Ganimat Zahid filed an appeal against the decision adopted by Yasamal District Court. The complaint will be considered on 25 April in rgw Baku Appellate Court under the chairmanship of Judge Abid Abdinbayov.

PARDONED JOURNALIST CALLED TO POLICE DEPARTMENT

Today (April 23) "Senet" Newspaper Chief Editor Samir Sadagetoglu was called to the Lankeran Police Department. Sadgetoglu told the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety, "I am frequently disturbed by the Lankeran Police. Today I went to the city police department. There, they told me that they received a complaint about me. When I demanded to see the complaint, they said that there was no written complaint, simply the police were taking a statement from someone about a written complaint, and in statement my name was mentioned. The police refused to tell me exactly who gave this statement. After this, investigator Fuad Aliyev said that I needed to come back in the afternoon. I came to the police department at that time, however because the investigator was not there, I have to return tomorrow at 10 a.m."

The journalist also said, "When I was in prison my home was attacked. After this, they called my home and threatened my family. Despite appeals to the police department about this from me and my family, there has been no result."

"GUN SAHAR" NEWSPAPER EMPLOYEE INTERROGATED BY PROSECUTOR

Today another journalist was drawn into the investigation process related to the beating of "Azadlig" Newspaper correspondent Agil Khalil. "Gun Sahar" Newspaper correspondent Namat Huseynli was called to the Chief Prosecutors Department for the Investigation of Grave Crimes by investigator Ali Guliyev, and interrogated for two hours there. "Gun Sahar" Chief Editor Gabil Abbasoglu told this to the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety. He said, "The phone number of our employee was on a list of phone numbers of people who called Agil after he was beat. Huseynli was called to the department to gather information about this."

COMMITTEE AGAINST TORTURE CHAIRMAN VISITS MUSHFIG HUSEYNOV IN PRISON

Chairman of the Committee Against Torture Elchin Behbudov visited imprisoned "Bizim Yol" Newspaper correspondent Mushfig Huseynov in Prison #2. Behbudov told this to the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety.

"I came to the prison at the journalist's request," said Behbudov. "His condition is normal. He has no complaints about the condition of his detainment or prison administrators. He has a slight cold and is receiving treatment." According to Behbudov, during the meeting the prison chief said that his staff wanted to put the journalist in the treatment facility, but the journalist himself refused this.

PARENTS OF IMPRISONED JOURNALIST WANT THEIR SON PARDONED

Imprisoned "Bizim Yol" Newspaper employee Mushfig Huseynov's parents, his mother Rena Huseynova and his father Tofig Huseynov, have sent an appeal to the president asking for their son to be pardoned. The Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety was told this by the journalist's family.

COURT TRIAL BETWEEN ANS AND "GUNDALIK AZERBAIJAN" CONTINUE

Today (23 April) a hearing was supposed to take place in the Baku Appellate Court under the chairmanship of judge Rashadat Agayev on the appeal filed against the decision adopted by the lower first instance court on "Gundalik Azerbaijan" Newspaper's lawsuit against ANS Independent Broadcasting and Media Company. The hearing was postponed until 14 May at 11:00 a.m. because no representative from the newspaper came to court.

"Gundalik Azerbaijan" Newspaper editor Shahvalad Chobanoglu told the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety that they weren't informed about this hearing or the motive of the case.

ONE DAY GIVEN FOR PLAINTIFF IN CAUSE ON INSULT TO MAKE UP HIS MIND

Today (April 23) in the Yasamal District Court, under the chairmanship of Judge Ragib Gurbanov, a hearing on Azerbaijan Publishing House Major Editor Ilham Sadigov's lawsuit against "Azadilg" Newspaper and newspaper reader/freelance writer Elmira Tofiggizi was held.

Ilham Sadigov and defense lawyer Elchin Sadigov participated in the hearing.

During the hearing, the judge declared that the trial will be renewed. While the plaintiff did not protest against this, defense lawyer Elchin Sadigov did. After this the judge gave the plaintiff time to determine his demands. E. Sadigov also protested against this.

"Civil Procedural Code Article 14.2 shows that the demand of the claim cannot be changed," said E. Sadigov. "If this occurs it is a law violation."

Then the judge scheduled the next hearing on this case for 24 April at 9:30 a.m.

Recall that I. Sadigov filed a lawsuit over a critical article published in "Azadlig" Newspaper and written by Elmira Tofiggizi about a publication about "Koroglu" that the Publishing House's Major Editor wrote. I. Sadigov is seeking the institution of separate 20,000 AZN fines against both Tofiggizi and "Azadlig" Newspaper.

JOURNALISTS SHOULD BE RELEASED BY SUMMER SESSION OF PACE

"We are not for a PACE special co-rapporteur on political prisoners in Azerbaijan," said Novella Jafaroglu, a member of Monitoring Group of Human Rights Organizations that participated in the spring session of PACE. She stated this during a press conference conducted today (23 April) on the results of her trip.

According to APA, human rights defenders met with the co-rapporteurs on Azerbaijan Andreas Herkel and Yevgeniya Jivkova, Council of Europe's Human Rights Commissioner Thomas Hammerberg, the Secretary of the Venice Commission Janni Bukikkio, and members of "AGO" group.

According to N. Jafaroglu, she talked during the event and participated in discussions about the situation of speech freedom and the imprisoned journalists.

Human rights defender Saida Gojamanli talked about the decision adopted by PACE on Armenia and said that this is a message to Azerbaijan. "Azerbaijan should take steps toward the resolution of existing problems by the June session. If ill prisoners and imprisoned journalists are not released by that date, the issue to appoint a special co-rapporteur on political prisoners in Azerbaijan might be discussed," she said. She added that during meetings discussions took place about "Azadlig" newspaper journalist Agil Khalil.

CRIMES AGAINST JOURNALISTS' IDENTITY SHOULD NOT GO UNPUNISHED

"No crime directed against the identity of journalists should be left unpunished," assistant chairperson of Azerbaijan's representative board in PACE Gultakin Hajiyeva said during a talk with journalists in which she expressed her opinion about the current situation of the Azerbaijani media.

"But in connection with this, I accept today's situation of Azerbaijani journalism with heartache, and I think every professional journalist will agree with me that Azerbaijani journalism is in a miserable state. Today there's no professional journalism in Azerbaijan," she said. She added that the government is not conducting a campaign against the opposition and independent media. "The government never has conducted and never will conduct a black PR campaign against anybody, any press organ or any opposition representatives," Hajiyeva said.

"AGO" GROUP REVEALS REPORT ABOUT AZERBAIJAN

PACE's monitoring group "AGO" is alarmed about the situation of the media in Azerbaijan. This is noted in the report that "AGO" Group unveiled yesterday (22 April), based on a visit the group made to the region recently to see how Azerbaijan is fulfilling its commitments to PACE.

The report will be submitted to the Council of Europe Ministry Committee today (23 April). The political prisoner problem and the current situation of speech and press freedom in Azerbaijan are comprehensively reflected in the document.

According to APA, the group considers the hunger-strike of the imprisoned journalists was alarming. The group also suggests that Azerbaijani Government take important steps to ensure the independence of the National TV and Radio Council.

Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS)

Address: 8 R. Behbudov St., Apt. 85/86, Baku, Azerbaijan

Tel: (+99 412) 418-0334, E-mail: irfs.az@gmail.com

Website: www.irfs.az, Skype: irfs.az