Attacks on the Press in 1998 - Azerbaijan
- Document source:
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Date:
February 1999
As of December 31, 1998
The end of official censorship was virtually the only positive development for the press this year. Unfortunately, this ostensible reform by the government of President Heydar Aliyev was overshadowed by the press freedom abuses that preceded and followed it.
After opposition parties threatened to withdraw from the October 11 presidential election if Aliyev failed to meet a variety of demands, including abolishing censorship, the president issued a decree on August 6 doing away with the General Directorate of State Secrets, known as GLAVLIT, its Soviet-era acronym. GLAVLIT had conducted business in violation of the 1992 Law on Mass Media as well as Articles 47 (freedom of opinions and convictions) and 50 (inadmissibility of censorship of the media) of the Azeri Constitution.
Following GLAVLIT's abolition, government officials said that a new body would be created to monitor reporting on topics deemed to be state secrets, although the details of its structure and its effect on the media had not been spelled out at year's end.
From August through the October 11 presidential election, which Aliyev won easily amidst claims of electoral abuses, journalists experienced some freedom to cover political events. Few, however, believed that this slight opening was permanent – and it has not been. Although censorship is officially dead, authorities have found other ways to silence independent and opposition media.
Criminal and civil libel charges have become weapons of choice, leading to the proliferation of lawsuits against newspapers and journalists for "defaming the honor" of government officials. Although this is not a new form of harassment, there has been a noticeable rise in the number of libel suits filed since November 11, when the Milli Mejlis (Azerbaijan's parliament) issued a statement calling on the minister of information to take measures to prevent the media from publishing materials which insult the honor of President Aliyev. The opposition newspapers Azadliq, Yeni Musavat, Mukhalifat, and Khurriyet, among others, have been the defendants in civil law suits with fines collectively totaling millions of dollars, clearly intended to put them out of business. Editors of these and other newspapers also face criminal charges, most often under Article 121 of the penal code, which carries a sentence of up to three years for publishing false and dishonoring comments about public officials.
In addition to legal harassment, threats and violent assaults against editors and reporters continue to be common, as evidenced by the September 16 beating by police of 34 journalists who were covering an opposition rally in Baku.
The two state-owned television stations, AzTV-1 and AzTV-2, dominate the electronic media, and provide the population with most of its news. Several independent stations exist, although a tightening of private broadcasting regulations has forced them to narrow their coverage to a range of subjects acceptable to local authorities.
Attacks on the Press in Azerbaijan in 1998
Date | Journalist | Incident |
---|---|---|
12/15/98 | Azer Guseinbala, Khurriyet | Legal Action |
12/15/98 | Rauf Arifoglu, Yeni Musavat | Legal Action |
12/15/98 | Gunduz Tairli, Azadliq | Legal Action |
12/15/98 | Suleyman Osmanoglu, Mukhalifat | Legal Action |
12/15/98 | Yeni Musavat | Legal Action |
12/14/98 | Azadliq | Legal Action |
12/14/98 | Gunduz Tairli, Azadliq | Legal Action |
12/05/98 | Mahir Samedov, Ulus | Legal Action |
11/19/98 | Yeni Musavat | Legal Action |
11/19/98 | Ulus | Legal Action |
11/13/98 | Esmira Namiqqizi, Yeni Musavat | Attacked |
11/13/98 | Ilhama Namiqqizi, Yeni Musavat | sugar poured in gas tank |
11/13/98 | Zamina Aliqizi, Yeni Musavat | Attacked |
11/13/98 | Aynur Eyvazli, Yeni Musavat | Attacked |
11/09/98 | Azadliq | Legal Action |
11/09/98 | Yeni Musavat | Legal Action |
11/09/98 | Sabina Avazqizi, Yeni Musavat | Legal Action |
11/09/98 | Beyuqaga Agayev, Azadliq | Legal Action |
09/12/98 | Azer Sariyev, Express | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Tahir Mamedov, Chag | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Rey Kerimoglu, Sharq | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Azer Rashidoglu, Ayna | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Faiq Qazanfaroglu, Millet | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Elman Maliyev, Khurriyet | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Mohammed Ersoy, Yurd Yeri | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Ibrahim Niyazli, Democratic Azerbaijan | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Anar Mammadli, Azerbaijan Gencleri | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Movsun Mammadov, Monitor magazine | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Rasul Mursaqulov, Chag | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Khalig Bahadur, Azadliq | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Ajdar, Azadliq | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Haji Zamin, Azadliq | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Sarvan Rizvanov, Azadliq | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Elmir Suleymanov, ANS TV | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Ilqar Shakhmaroglu, Qanun | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Nebi Rustamov, Qanun | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Taghi Yusifov, Qanun | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Shakhbaz Khuduoglu, Qanun | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Lachin Semra, Mukhalifat | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Tahir Pasha, Olaylar | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Natiq Javadli, Olaylar | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Taptyg Farkhadoglu,Turan news agency | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Movlud Javadov, Yeni Musavat | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Kamil Taghisoy, Yeni Musavat | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Shakhin Jafarli, Yeni Musavat | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Sebukhi Mammadli, Yeni Musavat | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Azer Qarachanli, Yeni Musavat | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Zamina Aliqizi, Yeni Musavat | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Eldaniz Badalov, Bu Gun | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Allakhverdi Donmez, Tezadlar | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Mekhseti Sherif, Rezonans | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Tunzale Rafiqqizi, Ana Veten | Attacked, Harassed |
09/12/98 | Shahbaz Xuduoglu, Qanun magazine | Harassed |
09/12/98 | Tahir Mamedov, Chag | Harassed |
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