Washington event: Fellow colleagues call for an end to impunity for crimes against journalist in Azerbaijan

Washington/03.11.18/Turan: Azerbaijani journalists in the U.S. and Europe join the rest of the world in commemorating the International Day to end impunity for crimes against reporters with a call for Azeri authorities to take real measures in guaranteeing safety and security of journalists and bloggers.

"Currently 14 journalists and bloggers are languishing in Azerbaijani jails, while 7 of our colleagues lost their lives since 2005," said Emin Huseynov, director of the Azerbaijani Institute for Reporter"s Freedom and Safety, at an event in Washington D.C.

The government, he added, has failed to shed light on the murder or well-known journalist Elmar Huseynov, who was shot dead in 2005

"It is supremely ironic that a regime, which has proven itself to be capable enough of kidnapping a journalist in Tbilisi streets, wants us to believe that Elmar Huseynov's murderers are hiding in Georgia, and that it cannot bring them info justice," said Alex Raufoglu, an Azeri-American journalist, and a country specialist for Amnesty International USA.

When the murders of journalists are not brought to justice in court, the result is not only injustice for those professionals, but a greater threat to the colleagues they leave behind, he added.

In her speech, Sevinj Osmanqizi of Women's Media Watch Azerbaijan, reminded that Elin Suleymanov, Azerbaijan"s ambassador to U.S., has compared Azerbaijan to Saudi Arabia in a private conversation with a well-known journalist saying that they should fell lucky to be citizens of Azerbaijan.

"Actually there wasn"t much to be feel lucky for. The real number of persecuted journalists is much higher than those reported. Events in August, assassination attempt on head of the Executive power in the second largest city of Azerbaijan, Ganja and electricity crisis following blackout throughout the country proved to be the beginning of a new crackdown on independent journalists," she said.

At least 4 editors were subject of criminal cases. According to Prosecutor General Zakir Qaralov, online influencers, including journalists, bloggers and young activists were put on Interpol"s wanted list. Those covering the story as events unfolded, were labelled as "terrorists".

"The government has changed its assessment of the events many times, but blamed the journalists for not adhering to the official line. Should journalists sit and wait for the government to finally make up its mind and then cover? It is not what the journalism is about.," she added.

Online harassment continued throughout the "election year" of 2018. Government-sponsored trolling designed to intimidate and humiliate was a tool of repression. Independent influencers were targets of vicious hatred campaigns and personal attacks. Calls were made to unfollow, report and have the "unwanted content" removed.

"One newly-opened media outlet, Real TV openly attacked journalists and bloggers in self-exile and called for their extradition and arrest. National TV and Radio Council , official body, mandated to monitor TV content, turned a blind eye to harassment and insulting language," Osmanqizi added. -25B-