The action of commemoration of Elmar Huseynov

Action of commemoration with the participation of representatives of the country's democratic community took place on  March 2 on the occasion of the 12th anniversary of the assassination of Elmar Huseynov,  the chief editor of the magazine "Monitor". Elmar Huseynov was killed from a pistol at the threshold of his apartment in the evening on  March 2, 2005.

President Ilham Aliyev promised immediately after the murder, that this crime would be solved soon. However, until now the killers and customers of this crime have not been punished. Among the suspects were identified two Georgian citizens, and the police did not say anything about those who ordered the crime. Elmar Huseynov was subjected to pressure many times, was brought to justice , and  served a prison sentence. Against his judicial sanctions were applied, and  he was threatened.

After the  Huseynov’s death, his wife  Rushana Huseynova left the country together with a small child, and filed a complaint with the European Court of Human Rights. The main keynote speeches at today's action was the condemnation of impunity for this crime.

"After the investigation was transferred to the MNS, not any steps were made to solve the crime.  Currently the trial  in the case of  former members of the National Security Ministry is ongoing, but progress on the murder of Elmar , said the head of the publishing house "Qanun" Shahbaz Khuduoglu, head of a public commission to investigate the murder of a journalist.

According to him, detectives that  came from Turkey, told the public commission that the crime had been solved . However, they soon gone, and the public had not been  submitted any information.

The head of the National Council of Democratic Forces (NCDF) Jamil Hasanli said that the murder of the journalist was  to suppress the freedom of speech. "There is a similarity in the murder of academician Ziya Bunyadov and Elmar Huseynov. Both were  shot in the mouth. This is a shot against the freedom of speech. It is a crime to make them silent. Murder is not disclosed because high-ranking officials ere interested in it," said Hasanli.

Not disclosing the  murder of  Huseynov against the reveal of other crimes  of the MNS  is due the fact that the elimination of the journalist was the order of the authorities.

The head of the National Center for Strategic Thought, Isa Gambar, noted that Elmar Huseynov's murder was one of the steps towards the establishment of a family of power in Azerbaijan. Elmar Huseynov, sharply criticized this policy.

Authorities believed that  it would  eliminate the freedom of speech, the opposition and intelligentsia standing on the side of the people by a single blow. However, the authorities failed to suppress the oppositional thinking, free speech, the intelligentsia, which speaks about the power of the people ",  said Gambar.

Referring to the appointment of  Mehriban Aliyevato the position of the First Vice President, Gambar expressed the view that such steps will not to increase power, but on the contrary, will  bring it down.

The leader of the Popular Front Party Ali Kerimli also said that the killing of Huseynov was committed to strengthening the family power.

Attacks on freedom of expression did not stop by the murder of Elmar Huseynov.

After a year out of the building in the center of Baku were evicted the newspaper "Azadlig", and other media structures and public organizations. The authorities want to silence all the people, but it failed.

"And today, journalists, bloggers, young activists have been arrested, but the day will come, and  those who committed a murder of Elmar will give answer to the people", said Kerimli.

The leader of the "Musavat" Arif Hajili said that under the current government murders of journalists will not be disclosed. This will happen after Azerbaijan forms a democratic society.

"The country has no democratic environment. Free media  is either suppressed or bribed. Due to the  absence of free media, political emigrants hold shares in Europe. But the authorities are pursuing their relatives in Azerbaijan. Party leaders are summoned for questioning," said Hajili.

Director of Turan agency Mehman Aliyev said that the democratic forces continue the struggle for freedom of the media. Despite the control of the print media, TV and Internet media, in general,  it is impossible to take control of the entire Internet.

"The authorities wanted to bury the freedom of the media, along with Elmar. However, free-men, fearless representatives of the media did not allow this. Today, media freedom in Azerbaijan starts from here, from the grave of Elmar ", Aliyev said.

Journalist Khadija Ismayil linked the non-disclosure of the murder of Elmar Huseynov with the weakness of the society and the media.

Chairman of the Institute for Reporters Freedom and Safety, the blogger Mehman Huseynov, said that the past 12 years have revealed who was the true friends of Elmar.

"Those who once called themselves friends of Elmar, criticized and even insulted the authorities, now  are praising  the power. The true champions of the freedom of speech, as before, are  at the grave of Elmar ",  said Huseynov.

Finally,  was read out a statement demanding:

1. bringing to justice customers and murderers of Elmar Huseynov;

2.to  release  from imprisonment  journalists;

3.to stop  repression of the freedom of speech;

4.to eliminate  amendments to the law on the media, and the Internet;

5. Provide free access to information in accordance with the law on the media and freedom of information;

6.to adopt the law on defamation;

7.to provide  economic conditions for the free development of the media;

8. Start a constructive dialogue with the authorities of the media community to create conditions for the development of the mass media according to international standards.-03В-