The Voice of Mirza Xazar: Category News

The first Encyclopedia of Mountain Jews was printed in Israel

Mirza Khazar — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 10:11:10 -0400

The first Encyclopedia of Mountain Jews was printed in Israel recently. The editor of the book which appeared in Russian is Hananil Abramov, member of the Writers Union of Israel. The work was financed by German Zakaryayev, a well known businessmen in Moscow. The Encyclopedia includes articles on history of different groups of Mountain Jews from Azerbaijan and Northern Caucasus.

The Encyclopedia also includes information on prominent intellectuals of Mountain Jews, such as Telman Ismailov, President of the AST Company in Moscow, Mirza Khazar, former head of the Azerbaijani Service at RFE/RL, as well as on Hasan Mirzoyev, chairman of the Russian Bar Association.

(The Voice of Mirza Khazar)

IRFS CHAIRMAN HOSPITALIZED AFTER BEING STRUCK OVER HEAD WITH GUN BY POLICE

Mirza Khazar — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 01:44:00 -0400

PRESS RELEASE 14 June 2008 Baku, Azerbaijan IRFS CHAIRMAN HOSPITALIZED AFTER BEING STRUCK OVER HEAD WITH GUN BY POLICE Today (June 14), in the "Alaturka" Cafe, an event organized by the "Che Guvera Fan Club" to mark the 80 birthday of Che Guvera and attended by a representative of the Cuban embassy was raided by police. Out of the approximately 25 people present, 20 were detained by police and taken to Nasimi District Police Department #22. Among those detained were IRFS Chairman Emin Huseynov and IRFS researchers Rasim Aliyev and Mirrehim Hasanov. The three had gone to conduct monitoring of the event. At the police department, Huseynov expressed protest against the photographing and fingerprinting of all people detained, and he was then separated from all of the detainees. According to R. Aliyev, Huseynov was taken into a separate room with four unformed and civilian-clothed police officers. Aliyev could hear shouting, cursing and a commotion from outside the door. A civilian-clothed man with glasses threatened Huseynov, saying, "I'll arrest you, I'll kill, I'll bury you," and shouted profanity. After several minutes, E. Huseynov exited the room and the police department. At the entrance to the police department Huseynov was met by IRFS co-founder, "Ayna" and "Zerkalo" Newspaper correspondent Iddrak Abbasov. Huseynov told him that he had been subjected to physical and psychological pressure. In particular he noted being struck on the back of the neck several times with the handle of a gun, and asked Abbasov to call an ambulance. Abbasov observed Huseynov was having difficulty walking. He and human rights activist Arzu Abdullayev, who was also present, approached the police department and asked them to summon an ambulance, however they rufused. According to Abbasov, Huseynov then lost consciousness. An ambulance eventually did arrive at the scene, and Huseynov was to the Centralized Emergency Medical Assistance Hospital. Doctor Galib Ibrahimov told IRFS, that Huseynov sustained head and brain trauma, but his condition is stable. According to Ibrahimov, Huseynov is in neurological shock, but his life is not in danger. U.S. Embassy Public Affair officer Jonathan Henick and other U.S. Embassy employees visited Huseynov in the evening. In addition, Rashid Hajili of the Media Rights Institute visited Huseynov in the late afternoon. At present, Huseynov is being kept in the critical care department and has regained consciousness. IRFS' two other employees, as well as the other people who were detained, were released approximately seven hours, after being photographed and fingerprinted. According to Abdullayev, the detainees also included "Yeni Musavat" Newspaper correspondent Elshan Balakhanli, who was only released after parliamentarian Igbal Agazadeh and Penah Huseyn, as well as others, interceded on the journalist's behalf. SOURCE: IRFS *When using this material please attribute it to the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety.

The Committee Against Torture of Azerbaijani Political Prisoners in Iran Set Up

Mirza Khazar — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 00:47:29 -0400

Human rights groups established a new committee:
Committee Against Torture of Azerbaijani Political Prisoners in Iran (referred to here on as the Committee)

August 27, 2007

The advocates for human rights of Azerbaijani population in Iran are under growing pressure as the Iranian regime has initiated a new wave of arrests against the Azerbaijani activists. Such activists who are engaged in a peaceful struggle for their cultural and national rights are brutally persecuted while a number of activists arrested during and soon after the popular uprisings of May 2006 remain in prisons.

Dozens of activists, recognized as prisoners of conscience by Amnesty International and other human rights organizations, are under physical and psychological torture in Iranian prisons. Following the clandestine and preemptive arrests, their right to legal representation is denied, their prisoners’ rights are violated, and their families are threatened and harassed.

The groups involved in defending human rights of the Azerbaijani prisoners in Iran, journalists and scholars have decided to join efforts to organize an international protest against torture of Azerbaijani activists by creating the Committee.

The increasing evidence of torture against dozens of Azerbaijani prisoners has concerned and alarmed the founders of this Committee. There are factual evidence on the torture of Azerbaijani activists such as Saeed Matinpour, Saleh Kamrani, Abdullah Abbas Javan, Jalil Qanilu and Behrouz Seferi who are kept incommunicado in Evin prison of Tehran. Many others are believed to suffer from torture and cruelty in various Iranian jails and prisons. These include women rights activist, Shahnaz Qolami, who is vanished since his arrest on 20 August in Tabriz.
The Committee urges media, human rights groups and anti-torture centers to protest against illegal arrests and tortures in Iran.

The Committee calls on Iranian government to stop illegal detention of prisoners, who are kept in prison without being charged in accordance with Iranian legislation.

The Committee will continue its activity until all Azerbaijani activists are released from prison.

The group initiating the Committee welcomes any support from other groups and individuals who condemn torture political prisoners in Iran.

For information about the Committee’s activity and last developments on situation of Azerbaijani political prisoners in Iran or to offer support please contact spokespersons:

Fakhteh Zamani +1 604 677 2524
fakhteh.zamani@gmail.com
Alirza Javanbakht + 90 538 442 6523
quluncu@gmail.com
e-mail: committee.stoptorture@yahoo.com

Vardan Oskanian: US Missiles Worry Armenia

Mirza Khazar — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 16:27:00 -0400

YEREVAN, Armenia, June 20--Armenia voiced concern Wednesday that a Russian proposal to host part of a US missile defense system in neighboring Azerbaijan could destabilize the volatile Caucasus region. "The hosting of anti-missile stations in Europe is the business of Russia, Europe and the US, but when it is a question of Azerbaijan, this interests and worries us, as it concerns our region," Armenian Foreign Minister Vardan Oskanian said. "We are concerned with the consequences of this on the balance in the region and on regional political and security matters," Oskanian said following a meeting with NATO's special representative to the Caucasus region, Robert Simmons. Azerbaijan and Armenia have been locked in a territorial dispute over the Nagorny Karabakh enclave since before the break-up of the Soviet Union. Azerbaijan lost control of the territory and seven surrounding regions during a war in the early 1990s, but Karabakh's status has yet to be settled. Russian President Vladimir Putin has proposed using the Russian-leased Gabala radar station in Azerbaijan as an alternative host for elements of a US missile defense system planned for the Czech Republic and Poland. The defense chiefs of Russia and Azerbaijan confirmed Wednesday their support for the proposal, which Washington has said it is examining. US plans to locate powerful missile-tracking radar in the Czech Republic as well interceptor missiles in Poland to combat what it alleges are threats to global security. Russia vehemently opposes either location for the planned US system. (Alalam News - www.alalam.ir)

Russia: Iran Poses No Threat

Mirza Khazar — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 16:25:00 -0400

TEHRAN, June 20--Russia sees no threat from Iran's ballistic missiles and does not understand why the United States needs to speak of this to justify the presence of a US missile defense system in Europe, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday. "We do not see any kind of threat from Iran," Lavrov told a news conference after a meeting in Tehran of foreign ministers from Caspian Sea states. "Thus, we do not understand why in order to justify the installation of a US anti-ballistic missile system in Europe you have to bring up the pretext of an Iranian threat," he added. The United States plans to locate a powerful missile-tracking radar in the Czech Republic as well interceptor missiles in Poland to combat what it says are threats to global security. Russia vehemently opposes either location for the planned US system. Sergei Lavrov said that the Russian party is ready to fulfill its commitment in connection with the contract for establishment of Bushehr nuclear power plant. "Of course this is a two-way street which the two sides are required to move alongside of it," Lavrov said. Lavrov expressed pleasure with contracts signed with his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki and said the two sides agreed on more talks and discussions on relevant issues by their authoritative officials in the near future. Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told the Russian foreign minister on Wednesday that "relations between Iran and Russia are of strategic importance." Lavrov also said relations between Tehran and Moscow are strategic. "As President (Vladimir) Putin has time and again declared Iran poses no threat to Russia and the region." Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (l) and his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki (r) meet with Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran. (Alalam News - www.alalam.ir)

U.S. State Department: Azerbaijan is primarily a source and transit country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor

Mirza Khazar — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 03:38:00 -0400

Trafficking in Persons Report -Report Home Page Released by the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons June 5, 2006 Azerbaijan is primarily a source and transit country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor. Most Azerbaijani victims were trafficked for sexual exploitation to Turkey and the Persian Gulf. Other destinations include Russia, Germany, and Greece. Reports of internal trafficking also continued, as did reports of men trafficked to Turkey and Russia for forced labor. The Government of Azerbaijan does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. The government undertook important steps to prevent and combat trafficking during the reporting period. In 2005, the government passed anti-trafficking legislation, appointed a new national anti-trafficking coordinator, fully vetted the staff of an anti-trafficking police unit, nearly completed renovations of a trafficking shelter, and created two new trafficking hotlines. The government should take immediate and tangible steps to improve victim rehabilitation by opening, adequately staffing, and fully funding its shelter for trafficking victims. It should also implement a nation-wide victim referral mechanism so that law enforcement personnel improve identification and protection of trafficking victims. Prosecution In 2005, the Government of Azerbaijan adopted its Law on the Fight Against Trafficking in Persons and adopted corresponding amendments to the criminal code. The law covers trafficking for both forced labor and sexual exploitation and carries a maximum penalty of 10 to 12 years. Due to the late passage of the criminal code amendments, however, the government continued to use older trafficking-related laws to prosecute traffickers in 2005. During the reporting period, the government opened 160 trafficking investigations and prosecuted 153 cases, resulting in 93 convictions. By the end of the reporting period, 37 traffickers were in prison. The government gave fines to 26 convicted traffickers and gave suspended sentences to 10 convicted traffickers in 2005. During the reporting period, the government completed a thorough vetting process, including conducting exams and background investigations, for its anti-trafficking police unit to ensure the unit meets international standards. The Ministry of Interior worked with customs and border officials to monitor and identify potential trafficking victims at airports, seaports, and land crossings and in January 2006 announced the disruption of a transnational trafficking ring. The Azerbaijani Government cooperated with U.S. counterparts to provide critical information for the prosecution of a U.S. trafficking case involving Azerbaijani victims in 2005. Reports of border guards and law enforcement officials receiving bribes to facilitate trafficking continued. The government established an anti-corruption commission last year to address pervasive corruption. Protection The Government of Azerbaijan continued to provide an inadequate level of assistance and support to victims in 2005. During the reporting period, the government failed to develop or implement a formal screening and referral mechanism to identify and assist victims. Although officials informally referred victims to state healthcare facilities, these facilities lack the capacity to provide the required specialized treatment or information for victims of trafficking. Some police referred victims to NGOs; however, a lack of adequate shelters in Azerbaijan forced NGO workers to use their own homes to shelter victims. The government made significant progress constructing and renovating a new trafficking shelter during the reporting period; the shelter is expected to open in spring 2006. Prevention The Government of Azerbaijan established two nation-wide trafficking hotlines in 2005. During the reporting period, the government conducted joint seminars with NGOs on trafficking throughout Azerbaijan, demonstrating increased interaction with civil society on trafficking. The State Committee on Women, Children and Families incorporated trafficking prevention into its education and trainings that targeted women from all sectors of society. The anti-trafficking coordinator led the government's inter-agency task force in coordinating communication among agencies. (source: http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/tiprpt/2006/65988.htm)

Analyst: In case of military operation against Iran, Baku will be struck first

Mirza Khazar — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 02:19:00 -0400

“We shall be witness of the US operation in Iran; the only thing that halts the United States now is a complicated condition of the US Armed Forces in Iraq,” political analyst Levon Melik-Shakhnazaryan announced at a news conference yesterday, expressing his bewilderment by the fact that the has not started yet. As a REGNUM correspondent reports, according to him, the USA is pursuing geopolitical targets and has done too much by now to crawfish. As the political analyst said, in case the military operation is started, Armenia will have to take a neutral position, as on the one hand, Iran is counterweighed by a very strong Western influence, on the other hand, “the USA comes and goes, but neighbors are always here.” Elaborating on the subject of the USA-Iran military confrontation, Levon Melik-Shakhnazaryan noted that Baku will suffer most from the war, as Azerbaijan will be struck first. “If the United State use the Azerbaijani territory for attacking Iran, Tehran will unconditionally discuss the question of seizing Baku,” the political expert said. In this case, the question of rescuing Azerbaijan will become acute. At least, Washington’s military action must be expected before the presidential election, the analyst believes. (IA REGNUM)

World Press Freedom Commitee's appeal to Ilham Aliyev

Mirza Khazar — Sat, 26 May 2007 04:34:48 -0400

May 24, 2007

His Excellency Ilham Aliyev
President
Republic of Azerbaijan
19 Istiglaliyat St.
370066 Baku
Azerbaijan

Your Excellency:

On behalf of the World Press Freedom Committee —an organization representing 45 press freedom groups from six continents— I wish to express my profound concern about the alarmingly high number of incarcerations of journalists in your country, including the recent ones of Rovshen Kebirli, editor of Mukhalifet, an opposition newspaper, and Yashar Agazade, a reporter of this publication.

Mr. Kebirli and Mr. Agazade were sentenced to two and a half years in prison on May 16 as a result of the criminal defamation proceedings against them stemming from the publication of an article very critical of Parliament member Jalal Aliyev, a close relative of yours.

The article, published on Feb. 27, accuses Jalal Aliyev of corruption and mismanagement of agriculture fields. He reacted by pressing criminal defamation charges against the two journalists for “insulting his dignity.”

The local Caucus Media Investigations Center has rightly condemned the sentences calling them “politically motivated,” an attack on freedom of expression, and a violation of the country’s Constitution and of international treaties of which Azerbaijan is a signatory.

Messrs. Kebirli and Agazade have joined seven other journalists in prison, making Azerbaijan one of the least press-freedom friendly countries in the world. The names of theses professionals are Rovshan Kebirli, Yashar Agazade, Eynula Fetullayev, Mirze Sakit (Zahidov), Samir Sedaqetoglu, Rafiq Tagý and Feremez Allahverdiyev.

International judicial entities such as the European Court of Human Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights have ruled that criminal defamation laws, the ones used to imprison these journalists, are in direct violation of the fundamental right to free speech and to a free press, which are also consecrated in your country’s Constitution.

These institutions also have abundant jurisprudence that supports the concept that public officials should expect more, and not less, scrutiny and criticism from the rest of society. This acceptance of being a willing target of the media’s slings and arrows also implies public officials should restrain from using these laws in order to silence criticism directed at them.

The effective silencing of these journalists sends a disturbing message to all press freedom forces in your country and abroad. These journalism professionals are part of a critical component to Azerbaijan’s democracy. Without a free and independent media, government officials cannot be kept accountable and responsive to the rest of society. Without this essential ingredient, transparency and good governance become impossible to achieve.

The incarcerations of Messrs Kebirli and Agazade and the rest of their colleagues constitute a frontal attack on the very press freedom principles whose respect is essential for the functioning of a democratic society. Therefore, your Excellency, I urge you to use the full extent of the executive power’s influence to begin immediately the appropriate proceedings to free all of them.

Respectfully,
E. Markham Bench
Executive Director
World Press Freedom Committee

Azerbaijan: Continuous harassment threatens existence of independent media

Mirza Khazar — Thu, 24 May 2007 07:31:47 -0400

VIENNA, 22 May 2007 -- The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Miklos Haraszti, expressed concern today over the eviction of the country's two main independent newspapers from their premises, and new procedures against their imprisoned editor, Eynulla Fatullayev. On 20 May, the Ministry for Emergency Situations forcibly evacuated the staff of Realniy Azerbaijan and Gundalik Azarbaycan from their offices. The newspapers have not been printed since the eviction and it is unclear when their publication will resume. "The eviction paralyses Azerbaijan's largest and most popular newspapers, in a clear attempt to fully silence them. This is part of an ongoing campaign to do away with independent journalism," said Haraszti. He noted the evacuating authorities cited alleged danger from "structural deficiencies" in the 13-storey building, but had evicted no other tenants. "I have also received worrying news that since the eviction the
newspapers' servers and archives are being searched by national security personnel. All this represents an openly oppressive stance, going beyond the previously seen discriminatory treatment of independent media," Haraszti added. Reportedly, the search warrants were based on a new criminal case against the papers' founder and editor, Eynulla Fatullayev, already convicted last month for 'defamation of a village and of the army'. "I call on the authorities to stop persecuting the remaining free press in Azerbaijan and ensure that Realniy Azerbaijan and Gundalik Azarbaycan can resume their work," said Haraszti. Over the last months, the OSCE Representative has several times expressed his concern over the deteriorating state of freedom of the media in Azerbaijan, including during a visit to Baku where he met President Ilham Aliyev. Seven Azerbaijani journalists are presently in jail, most of them after criminal procedures for libel.

OSCE Press release

-- HREA - http://www.hrea.org Human Rights Education Associates (HREA) is an international non-governmental organisation that supports human rights learning; the training of activists and professionals; the development of educational materials and programming; and community-building through on-line technologies.

Azerbaijan: Opposition Editor Sentenced to Prison

Mirza Khazar — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 09:59:17 -0400

Azerbaijan: Opposition Editor Sentenced to Prison

Government Intensifies Media Crackdown Through ‘Criminal Libel’ Charges

(New York, April 27, 2007) – The conviction of Eynulla Fatullayev, the editor of Azerbaijan's largest independent newspaper, for “criminal libel” and “insult,” underscores deteriorating press freedoms in that country, Human Rights Watch said today.

On April 20, Yasamal District Court in Baku convicted Fatullayev, the outspoken editor-in-chief of the independent Realni Azerbaijan and Gundelik Azerbaijan newspapers, for having committed “criminal libel” and “insult.” The charges were based on an internet posting that the prosecution attributed to him, which blamed Azerbaijanis for a 1992 massacre in Nagorno-Karabakh. Fatullayev denied writing the posting, but was sentenced to 30 months in prison.

The same day, unknown assailants attacked one of Fatullayev’s colleagues at Realni Azerbaijan, Uzeyir Jafarov, who sustained serious injuries. Fatullayev is the fifth journalist to be imprisoned in Azerbaijan in the last 10 months.

“Fatullayev’s prosecution was politically motivated, and he should be immediately released from custody,” said Holly Cartner, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The steady rise of politically motivated defamation charges and violent attacks against critical journalists is clearly aimed at silencing critical voices in Azerbaijan.”

In its letter to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev on February 9, Human Rights Watch documented numerous cases of violence and criminal defamation charges against journalists in Azerbaijan, including Fatullayev. Human Rights Watch urged the president to take steps to end impunity for such violence, and ensure that Azerbaijan complies with its international obligations on freedom of expression and the press.

Fatullayev’s conviction comes just two weeks after the same court fined him 10,000 Azeri manats (about US$12,000) for the same offense in a civil claim brought by Tatiana Chaladze, head of the Azeri Center for Protection of Refugees and Displaced Persons. Chaladze also initiated the criminal libel and insult charges against Fatullayev.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has called for Azerbaijan to abolish the offense of criminal libel. Human Rights Watch echoed this call in February in its letter to President Aliev.

Fatullayev’s conviction was based on a statement attributed to him that was posted to the website Azeritricolor. The statement blamed Azerbaijanis for the 1992 massacre in the village of Khojali in Nagorno-Karabakh. Chaladze alleged that the statement defamed the village’s residents.

According to Azerbaijani official statistics, more than 600 people were killed on February 25, 1992, when ethnic Armenian forces stormed the predominantly Azeri town of Khojali. Fatullayev denies making the remark and maintains that it was a set-up intended to put him behind bars. The remark was apparently linked to an article Fatullayev had published in 2005, “Karabakh Diary,” in which he expressed the view that Armenian forces maintained a civilian corridor for Azeri villagers to flee Khojali.

Fatullayev wrote the 2005 article while working as an investigative journalist for the newspaper Monitor, where he worked until the murder of his close friend, Monitor editor Elmar Huseynov, in March 2005. Huseynov’s murder remains unsolved. Fatullayev’s Realni Azerbaijan newspaper is the successor to Monitor, which closed after Huseynov’s murder.

Fatullayev’s lawyer told Human Rights Watch that, although his client’s conviction was partially based on statements made in the 2005 article about the Khojali massacre, the article itself was not included in the evidence against him. Fatullayev plans to appeal his conviction.

“As a member of the UN’s Human Rights Council, Azerbaijan should be exemplary in its protection of fundamental human rights like freedom of expression,” said Cartner. “Instead, the authorities have launched a series of politically motivated flawed trials against critical journalists, fueling an atmosphere of fear and hostility for the independent and opposition media.”

Just hours after Fatullayev’s conviction on April 20, unknown assailants brutally beat Fatullayev’s colleague, Realni Azerbaijan journalist Uzeyir Jafarov. Jafarov told Human Rights Watch that as he left the Realni Azerbaijan office around 11:45 p.m., two people attacked him from behind and hit him several times on the head. The assailants fled only after Jafarov’s colleagues responded to his calls for help. Jafarov was hospitalized for head trauma and remains in the hospital. He claimed to have seen one of the assailants in the court room at Fatullayev’s hearing earlier in the day.

“Attacks on journalists and the lack of accountability for these crimes are crushing freedom of the press and expression in Azerbaijan,” said Cartner. “If this crackdown on the media continues, it will be nearly impossible for Azerbaijan to hold free and fair presidential elections next year.”

Background

Eynulla Fatullayev is known for his frequent criticism of Azeri officials and for exposing instances of government corruption. Pressure on Fatullayev to stop his journalism had been building for over a year. Fatullayev was forced to suspend publication of his newspapers on October 1, after his father was kidnapped. The kidnappers threatened to kill both Fatullayev and his father if he continued publishing the newspapers. The editor had to stop publication of the paper in exchange for his father’s release. Fatullayev renewed publishing only two months later, but acknowledged that he did so at his own peril, since the kidnappers remained at large.

In March, after publishing an article accusing the Azeri authorities of obstructing the investigation into the murder of Monitor editor Elmar Huseinov, Fatullayev reported death threats against him and his family. The Azeri authorities refused to investigate these claims or offer to protect Fatullayev.

Soon after the statement attributed to Fatullayev about the Khojali massacre began to circulate on the internet in February, protestors organized several rallies in front of the Realni Azerbaijan office and threw eggs and stones at the office windows. Police did nothing to stop the protestors.

In recent months, high-ranking state officials have initiated criminal defamation charges against Fatullayev. In September, Fatullayev was handed a two-year suspended sentence and forced to pay damages in a criminal libel case brought by Interior Minister Ramil Usubov. Usubov has brought similar charges against numerous other independent journalists and newspapers.

The conviction of Fatullayev comes amid the Azerbaijani government’s growing hostility toward independent and opposition media, which raises serious concerns about the future of independent media and the security of journalists in the country. Violence and the threat of violence against journalists have become frequent in Azerbaijan, and often such crimes are committed with impunity. A dramatic increase in defamation charges brought against journalists by state officials has further contributed to the deteriorating environment for freedom of expression.

(Human Rights Watch - www.hrw.org)