APPEAL To Azerbaijani publicity on occasion of International Press Freedom Day May 3

The latest negative tendencies in field of freedom of speech in Azerbaijan cause concern and demand immediate solution by authorities on the basis of international and constitutional commitments.

Since 2005 number of cases of physical, moral and judicial pressure on press has grown. In March 2005 Elmar Huseynov, Monitor magazine’s editor-in-chief, was murdered, but his murderers have not been found. From 2005 to 2017 journalists were repeatedly subjected to physical violence

 A blogger Mehman Galandarov passed away in the pre-trial jail, 11 journalists and bloggers  are in jails, the penalties for defamation have been tightened, the process of blocking a number of media sites by the state  is ongoing, the level of self-censorship has reached unprecedented proportions.

These processes are very dangerous and public intimidation and suppression of individual is provoking despair. Self-censorship strengthens in journalism, freedom of expression is limited and fundamental right to freedom of speech is blatantly violated. These actions are contrary to the government’s main commitments to its citizens and international community.

According to Clause 12 of Azerbaijan Constitution, the supreme goal of the state is observation of human rights and freedoms. Universal Human Rights Declaration, International Treaty on Civil and Political Rights, and Clause 46 of Azerbaijan Constitution envisage each person’s possibility to defend his or her civil rights and freedoms and reject any case of humiliation of person. Clause 10 of European Convention on Human Rights and Freedom envisages right of every person to open expression of thoughts. According to it, realization of one right cannot be accompanied by violation or infringement of other human rights. Therefore, defense of plaintiff’s honor and dignity cannot lead to infringement of journalist’s right to freedom of thought and distribution of information. Clause 72 of Constitution obliges legislation, executive and judicial authorities to observe and protect human rights and freedoms. Among these freedoms are right to freedom of speech, thought, search, receipt, preparation and dissemination of information by legal means, which are guarantees by Clauses 47 and 50 of Constitution.

In 2001 Azerbaijan Republic joined European Convention on Human Rights and Freedoms and its protocols and recognized priority of these documents’ jurisdiction. Freedom of speech and information, which are integral human rights and freedoms, is the basis for other civil rights. Freedom of speech, person and society is impossible without independent press. Non-free society is unable to build democratic state based on law and order. Azerbaijani government has announced such a state as a priority and established relationships with such European organizations as European Union, NATO, Council of Europe and etc.

We, representatives of civil society, are concerned about Azerbaijani government’s stepping aside from democratic development and integration into the space, where freedom of speech is the highest standard of freedom of individual.

We urge the  Azerbaijani government:

1. To observe Constitutional and international obligations in field of freedom of speech and human rights

2. Create conditions for development of free and independent press in Azerbaijan.

3.Cancel all legislative restrictions on the freedom of information dissemination.

4. Release from prisons the journalists and bloggers.

5. To conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into the death of the blogger Mehman Galandarov.

Baku,  May 3, 2017