"The situation with civil freedoms in Azerbaijan is deplorable"

On February 9, the international human rights organization Freedom House published the next annual report "Freedom in the World-2023". Freedom House notes that global freedoms as a whole have been steadily regressing for the 17th year. According to the report, last year 16 out of 57 countries considered unfree in the world had the lowest score on political rights and civil liberties. Azerbaijan, along with South Sudan, Turkmenistan, Syria, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and countries such as Belarus, China, Myanmar, Yemen, is among these 16 countries.

The report says that the parliaments of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have imposed additional restrictions on the media and journalists, and the new legislation requires foreign online platforms to register as local legal entities. The Media Development Agency (MEDIA - Medianın Inkişafı Agentliyi), in connection with the latest report of the Freedom House organization, stated that in the latest published report there is a far from reality biased attitude towards the state of media in Azerbaijan.

Traditionally, official Baku declares full provision of fundamental freedoms in Azerbaijan, including freedom of speech, press, and associations. It is alleged that there have been no arrests for political reasons in the country, and individuals have been convicted and imprisoned on specific charges. In addition, information about torture and inhuman treatment is also, as a rule, not perceived by law enforcement agencies and is considered biased.

ASTNA got acquainted with the position of  Rufat Safarov, the co-founder of the human rights organization "Line of Defense" regarding the annual report of the international human rights organization Freedom House on Azerbaijan.

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Question: Freedom House, an international human rights organization, published an annual report on freedoms in the world on March 9. In the report, Azerbaijan ranked as the "worst" among the "unfree" countries. Is this report objective?

Answer: I have read the annual report of the human rights organization Freedom House "Freedom in the World 2023". We know that Azerbaijan occupies the most odious positions according to the indices published annually, such as economic freedom, corruption, democracy, freedom of the media, etc. Before going directly to the question, I would like to note that it is certainly obvious to us that the political and legal realities of Azerbaijan, human rights and freedoms, especially political opportunities and chances, are extremely truncated, the state abusing power encourages rigid authoritarianism. We were constantly writing and talking about it. Unfortunately, in our weekly bulletins, quarterly reports reflecting the state of human rights, there is no shortage of facts of gross interference of administrative bodies in rights and freedoms, repressive measures accompanied by violence, constant persecution of dissident circles. The fact that the police, the prosecutor's office and the special services attract attention only as bodies representing the interests of political power, and the interests of society and the citizen, in this sense, are mostly relegated to the background, and the courts function as a "legal continuation" of the executive power, gives reason to assert that the situation in which Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijanis are very bad. It is no exaggeration to say that we are regressing not only with every quarter, but also with every day. Unfortunately, as a human rights activist operating in the country, I have to agree with my foreign colleagues, as well as with the latest Freedom House report.

Question: Responding to such critical messages, the authorities traditionally declare full protection of fundamental freedoms in Azerbaijan, including freedom of speech, press, and associations. Why do the authorities reject criticism in the reports of such international organizations?

Answer: Those in power in all branches of government - executive, judicial, legislative, not only reject the reports of international institutions specializing in human rights, reliable democratic institutions that reflect the political, legal, economic, social, etc. picture of Azerbaijan, on the contrary, they assure: "If other countries use the Azerbaijani model of governance, then they will benefit."

The elite of the country, the heads of central and local authorities, those who are represented in parliament, constantly repeat about the "dynamic development" of Azerbaijan. But the real picture is different: corruption is the main condition for the existence of the current kleptocratic system.

There is an uncompetitive or monopolistic market, even official sources confirm double-digit inflation. The institution of elections has been completely eliminated. Websites replicating opposition opinion are blocked. Even newspapers spreading dissent and critical thinking are not published. Since January 2019, freedom of assembly has actually been abolished. The law "On Media" has further complicated the situation of journalists. The law "On Political Parties" confirmed that the government is absolutely not interested in people being involved in politics. Dozens of political prisoners are being held in pre-trial detention centers and penitentiary institutions. As stated in the report, "The Bar Association is nominally independent, but acts on the basis of instructions from the Ministry of Justice."

People are being persecuted for their beliefs and religious worldview. There is an even more cruel attitude towards believers. Slander has become an integral component of the activities of law enforcement agencies. Not only are critics isolated from society for false reasons, torture, inhuman treatment, and degrading treatment have become commonplace. Since the personal life of any individual, especially citizens who think differently from the ruling policy, is taken under the control of administrative bodies, all conversations and correspondence are controlled, "black PR" and moral terror have reached their apogee. Social networks are under total control: critical statuses and opinions are accompanied by "on-duty" accusations - hooliganism, willful disobedience to the legitimate demand of the police, drug trafficking, etc.

At best, a citizen is saved by prostrating himself in front of the camera and apologizing. All these are terrible Azerbaijani realities, and I make judgments based on a concrete factual basis. It is no coincidence that the above and even more serious circumstances have attracted the attention of international organizations, as well as Freedom House. In terms of political rights and civil liberties, Azerbaijan has earned a place among countries such as Yemen and Myanmar. Instead of drawing conclusions from this, official Baku refutes fair reports, moreover, figuratively speaking, tightens the noose around the neck of rights and freedoms even tighter.

Question: The Freedom House report says that deputies in Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan have imposed additional restrictions on media agencies and journalists, and new legislation requires foreign online platforms to register as local legal entities. Indeed, the Media Development Agency (MEDIA), in connection with the latest report of Freedom House, stated that there is an unrealistic and biased attitude towards the state of media in Azerbaijan. "Foreign Internet sites are not required to register as local legal entities, as stated in the report," the ministry stressed. However, the organization's special attention to the situation of media in Azerbaijan cannot but arouse interest. Why is the emphasis on this issue?

Answer: As already mentioned, I have carefully reviewed all sections of the report under consideration, as well as the section on the state of the media. It quite rightly points out the systematic and constant violation of the constitutional guarantees of freedom of the press in Azerbaijan. Defamation still entails criminal liability. Journalists and their relatives face harassment, violence and intimidation by the authorities. Well-known media representatives, such as Polad Aslanov, Avaz Zeynalli, Abid Gafarov, were isolated from society on the basis of fabricated charges. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that not only domestic critics speak about the reactionary nature of the "Media Law". We are familiar with the final conclusion of the Venice Commission under the Council of Europe on the law "On Mass Media". In conclusion, it is stated that "in the context of the extremely limited space for independent journalism and media already existing in Azerbaijan, this law will have an even greater "chilling effect". Many of its provisions do not comply with European standards of freedom of expression and media and do not allow the media to effectively perform the role of "public controller". In this sense, the position of the Media Development Agency is currently unfair, biased and a rabid service to official policy.

Question: How do you assess the level of freedoms in Azerbaijan in recent years?

Answer: In the context of widespread harsh authoritarian tendencies, the level of freedoms against the background of management based on a police baton can be described in one word: deplorable.

Question: What steps should be taken to avoid taking low places in the reports of such organizations?

Answer: Political will is important for this. Radical reforms and real steps towards building a pluralistic society are needed. The right to vote should be treated with respect, politics should be conducted in a spirit of respect for freedom of speech and opinion, freedom of the press and information. The independence of the courts must be guaranteed. Economic freedoms must be recognized, monopoly must be eliminated. And before doing all this, there should not be a single political prisoner and prisoner of conscience left in places of detention. Ferocity, violence, repression, rejection of a different point of view is not the way out. These negative tendencies can prolong the life of something, but they cannot make it immortal.