Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07BAKU601
2007-05-17 13:04:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Baku
Cable title:
AZERBAIJAN'S MEDIA CRACKDOWN CONTINUES: TWO MORE
how-toVZCZCXRO8419 PP RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHLA RUEHMRE RUEHROV RUEHSR DE RUEHKB #0601 1371304 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 171304Z MAY 07 FM AMEMBASSY BAKU TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3029 INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNOSC/OSCE COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L BAKU 000601
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/17/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM AJ
SUBJECT: AZERBAIJAN'S MEDIA CRACKDOWN CONTINUES: TWO MORE
JOURNALISTS LAND IN JAIL
Classified By: DEPUTY CHEIF OF MISSION JASON P. HYLAND PER 1.4(B,D)
C O N F I D E N T I A L BAKU 000601
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/17/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM AJ
SUBJECT: AZERBAIJAN'S MEDIA CRACKDOWN CONTINUES: TWO MORE
JOURNALISTS LAND IN JAIL
Classified By: DEPUTY CHEIF OF MISSION JASON P. HYLAND PER 1.4(B,D)
1. (C) On May 16, two journalists from the opposition
Mukhalifet newspaper, Editor-In-Chief Rovshan Kebirli and
correspondent Yashar Agazadeh, were sentenced to 30 months'
imprisonment each on criminal libel charges. The lawsuit was
filed by the President's uncle - and Member of Parliament -
Jalal Aliyev, after the newspaper published an article in
February that criticized him for engaging in corrupt business
practices. Aliyev, who is known for his brash behavior and
emotional outbursts in Parliament, has filed suits against
several other journalists over the past few months; however,
this is the first case that has resulted in prison sentences.
AMAY Commercial Production Firm, the company that Agazadeh
alleged was connected to liyev, has also filed a lawsuit
over the articlefor "damaging its business reputation."
Kebirli and Agazadeh have become the sixth and seventh
journalists currently serving prison sentences in Azerbaijan,
making Azerbaijan the top jailer of journalists in the former
Soviet Union.
2. (C) COMMENT: We are extremely concerned with the
increasingly repressive media freedom environment; it has
become much too commonplace for journalists who express
unpopular opinions to be harassed, beaten, or jailed. It is
critical to Azerbaijan's democratic development that the GOAJ
create better conditions for media freedom. This is
particularly important as we approach the October 2008
Presidential Elections; without an open media environment,
candidates will not be able to effectively get their messages
out to the public. We will continue to press for media
freedom reform with all levels of GOAJ contacts, including in
a multilateral meeting with Presidential Chief of Staff Ramiz
Mehdiyev.
DERSE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/17/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KDEM AJ
SUBJECT: AZERBAIJAN'S MEDIA CRACKDOWN CONTINUES: TWO MORE
JOURNALISTS LAND IN JAIL
Classified By: DEPUTY CHEIF OF MISSION JASON P. HYLAND PER 1.4(B,D)
1. (C) On May 16, two journalists from the opposition
Mukhalifet newspaper, Editor-In-Chief Rovshan Kebirli and
correspondent Yashar Agazadeh, were sentenced to 30 months'
imprisonment each on criminal libel charges. The lawsuit was
filed by the President's uncle - and Member of Parliament -
Jalal Aliyev, after the newspaper published an article in
February that criticized him for engaging in corrupt business
practices. Aliyev, who is known for his brash behavior and
emotional outbursts in Parliament, has filed suits against
several other journalists over the past few months; however,
this is the first case that has resulted in prison sentences.
AMAY Commercial Production Firm, the company that Agazadeh
alleged was connected to liyev, has also filed a lawsuit
over the articlefor "damaging its business reputation."
Kebirli and Agazadeh have become the sixth and seventh
journalists currently serving prison sentences in Azerbaijan,
making Azerbaijan the top jailer of journalists in the former
Soviet Union.
2. (C) COMMENT: We are extremely concerned with the
increasingly repressive media freedom environment; it has
become much too commonplace for journalists who express
unpopular opinions to be harassed, beaten, or jailed. It is
critical to Azerbaijan's democratic development that the GOAJ
create better conditions for media freedom. This is
particularly important as we approach the October 2008
Presidential Elections; without an open media environment,
candidates will not be able to effectively get their messages
out to the public. We will continue to press for media
freedom reform with all levels of GOAJ contacts, including in
a multilateral meeting with Presidential Chief of Staff Ramiz
Mehdiyev.
DERSE