Mehman Aliyev: �This Situation Should Be Changed�

Baku / 11.09.17 / Turan: The director of the Turan news agency Mehman Aliyev believes the process that began with his release from custody must find its logical conclusion - the termination of the criminal case against him and the agency he leads. Mehman Aliyev said this in an interview with reporters.

He expressed satisfaction with the public support expressed to him in the country and support from abroad. "I received a lot of public support. There was no consensus in the government about my arrest. Positions were contradictory. Some people wanted my arrest. On the other hand, there was strong international support. In fact, the authorities did not expect such strong international support. All these factors influenced today"s decision (on his release - Ed.)," Mehman Aliyev said.

The journalist expressed special gratitude to his family. "I express my gratitude to my family, as they behaved fairly steadfastly, and this was important for me. I am grateful to friends who were with me in the same cell, as they treated me with respect. And this was also very important," Mehman Aliyev said.

He clarified the reports that he sent an appeal to the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. The director of Turan said that such a decision came after he was visited by representatives of the Azerbaijani Ombudsman in the detention center. They assured that they would do everything possible to release him, and reported on the work already done in this direction.

"I understood that the issue was being discussed at the level of the President. So I decided to address the head of state. In this appeal I wrote about the creation of Turan, about my 30-year-old journalistic activity, and my participation in the establishment of independent and competent journalism in Azerbaijan. I put forward the initiative of creating the Press Council in 1997. Turan Information Agency has always complied with the norms of professional ethics, and on the basis of these principles we covered all events in the life of the country, including the foreign and domestic policies of the head of state. At the same time, I noted that from the very beginning of the criminal case, I did not shy away from the investigation and I actively contacted the investigation. And considering this, I asked that the measure of restraint be changed. Today I also wrote a letter to the chairman of the Yasamal District Court about changing the measure of restraint," Mehman Aliyev continued.

He stressed that he was released without any preconditions. "There were no negotiations, and no one put conditions on me. However, I note that Turan has always been in dialogue with the authorities from the very beginning of its activity. We put forward various proposals that were related to our desire for the normal development of the Azerbaijani media. It was with this that the ideas of creating the Press Council and the Baku Press Club were related in due time. Unfortunately, there were always forces in power who were supporters of suppression of these initiatives," Mehman Aliyev stressed.

He also commented on the words of the presidential aide Ali Hasanov and the head of the Press Council Aflatun Amashov who, trying to refute the political motives for the persecution of Mehman Aliyev, stated that "Turan no longer exists, and it cannot be seen."

"Ali Hasanov from the presidential administration and the chairman of the Press Council Aflatun Amashov noted that "Turan does not exist, and it is not visible in the media space." My arrest showed what Turan is, and everyone saw it and understood it," Mehman Aliyev said.

Asked what role the initiative of applying international sanctions against the government could play in his liberation, Mehman Aliyev said: "Of course, I would never like sanctions to be applied against Azerbaijan. However, this situation was not created by me. The issue of sanctions arose in the fall of 2015. Then the authorities prepared 12 road maps of reforms in various spheres and promised reforms, but...," Mehman Aliyev noted.

As for the further fate of the news agency Turan, Mehman Aliyev said that due to the freezing of its bank accounts, it had to suspend its activities from September 1.

"We"ll see what will happen next. Right now I cannot make decisions, because the existing situation does not allow us to fully continue the work. But I would not like to focus only on Turan"s activities. The general situation with media in the country is lamentable. I did not watch the programs of local TV channels for 7-8 years, and when I saw them, I saw a tragic situation. These programs are so wretched and far from reality that they have no influence on public opinion. The government has practically lost touch with the people. This is the reality and this situation should be changed," Mehman Aliyev said.

He said that the real reason for his arrest was the professional work and activities of Turan. "Since 1998, a policy of forcing out free media, bribing them, and applying political and economic censorship has been carried out in Azerbaijan. After my arrest, the clear message of the international community was that Turan remained the only independent and competent media," Mehman Aliyev stressed.

According to him, it was with the goal of eliminating this last "bastion of independent media" that a criminal case against Turan and the arrest of its leader was initiated. Behind this operation are those who conduct the information policy of the state, Mehman Aliyev said.

He expressed disagreement with the opinion in some media that Russia was behind his arrest. Mehman Aliyev said he was treated with respect as a journalist in Russia. He himself has an open mind about Russia, although he had his own view of the events in Syria, Georgia, and Ukraine.

"This (the arrest of Mehman Aliyev) is directly the work of certain people who lead the information policy in the presidential administration. Their policy has failed and for many years we have been in controversy, and I have always opposed this policy. Today, life shows that their policy has completely collapsed. They understand this and want to avoid responsibility," Mehman Aliyev said.

During the arrest of Mehman Aliyev, the official newspaper Azerbaijan published an article in which it called Mehman Aliyev a representative of the "fifth column" (which means traitors - Ed.), and an "anti-national element".

"I always follow journalistic ethics. If we sue the newspaper Azerbaijan for using such expressions, then it can be held accountable. Let them first look at themselves in the mirror, and see who they are. Let them assess the damage they caused to Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani people know who the "fifth column" really is, and who brought the country to such a state. And this policy was directly supported by the newspaper Azerbaijan," Mehman Aliyev said.

* Mehman Aliyev was detained on August 24. The next day he was charged under Articles 213.1 (tax evasion), 308.1 (abuse of official powers) and 192.2.2 (illegal business with a large income) of the Criminal Code. The court selected a preventive measure against him in the form of arrest until November 7. Mehman Aliyev rejected all the accusations and called them politically motivated.

International organizations condemned Mehman Aliyev's arrest and called for his immediate release. The US State Department also called for the immediate release of Mehman Aliyev. Concern about Mehman Aliyev"s arrest was expressed by the French and British Foreign Ministries, urging the Azerbaijani authorities to comply with their international obligations in the field of human rights.

Senator Richard Durbin proposed a legislative initiative on the application of sanctions by the US against the persons involved in the arrest of Mehman Aliyev. On September 11, the court changed the measure of restraint to a written undertaking not to leave the place. -06D-