Twitter Campaign in Defense of Journalists Arrested in Azerbaijan

The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has called for a launch of a Twitter campaign in defense of the journalists arrested in Azerbaijan on the eve of the European Games starting in Baku on June 12.

"Tomorrow, 50 countries will take part in the opening ceremony of the first European Games, but the most famous Azerbaijani journalist Khadija Ismayilova will not attend the celebrations. The investigative reporter and the winner of international awards has been in jail since December on trumped up charges after the publication of materials on corruption," Nina Ognyanova, CPJ's Program Coordinator said.

The leading defender of press freedom in the country Emin Huseynov also will not see the presentation on the opening of the Games announced to the world as "mini-Olympics". Fearing arrest in the course of the repressive actions held in Azerbaijan against journalists and human rights organizations, the head of the Institute of Freedom and Security of Journalists has been hiding in the Embassy of Switzerland since August last year.

The destiny of Ismayilova and Huseynov clearly indicates the high degree of risk to well-known journalists and human rights activists in Azerbaijan - a country, which is the main jailer of journalists in Europe and Central Asia.

The Games in Baku from 12 to 28 June will be covered by about 1,300 international journalists and the media will have a unique chance to get more information on the country where the practice of censorship exists and many limitations are applied.

Eight independent journalists have been imprisoned for criticizing the government.

Azerbaijan ranks fifth in the world in terms of rigidity of censorship, ahead of Iran and China.

Dozens of independent journalists and human rights activists, including Idrak Abbasov, were forced to emigrate after the harassment, intimidation and physical violence in connection with their professional activities.

The host country of the European Games is obliged to provide full coverage of the Games by various media. However, as the head of the press service of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Hikmat Hajiyev announced in April, accreditation of journalists may be canceled in the case of publishing against the "territorial integrity, independence and sovereignty of Azerbaijan."

In accordance with the Olympic Charter, the 1,300 international journalists assigned to cover the European Games in Baku should be given the freedom to conduct reporting on the social, political, economic and environmental conditions in which the Games are held, including on the situation of human rights and freedom of the press.

The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muiznieks, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Dunja Mijatovic, and the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders Michel Forst urged the athletes participating in the Games to take a position of condemnation of repression in Azerbaijan.

In response to the campaign with the tag #HelloBaku launched by the authorities, human rights activists launched a campaign #realBaku2015 to obtain information on issues of press freedom and human rights on Facebook and Twitter.

Ognyanova called to support the action PressUncuffed for the release of journalists, including Khadija Ismayilova:

@presidentaz, free #KhadijaIsmayilova jailed for criticism. cc: @AzerbaijanPA https://cpj.org/campaigns/pressuncuffed/khadija-ismayilova.php

@JohnKerry: Ask @presidentaz to release the journalist Khadija Ismailova #KhadijaIsmayilova https://cpj.org/campaigns/pressuncuffed/khadija-ismayilova.php#RealBaku2015

Azerbaijan hosting #EuropeanGames is one of the most repressive countries in Europe. #RealBaku2015# Baku2015 https://cpj.org/ru/2015/06/-2015.php

Azerbaijan is the chief jailer of the press in Europe and Central Asia. It takes #EuropeanGames.# RealBaku2015 #Baku2015 https://cpj.org/ru/2015/06/-2015.php.  -06D-