Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BAKU582
2008-06-20 10:58:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Baku
Cable title:
AMBASSADOR RAISES HUMAN RIGHTS CASES WITH
how-toVZCZCXRO4045 RR RUEHLN RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHKB #0582 1721058 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 201058Z JUN 08 FM AMEMBASSY BAKU TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5531 INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 0984
UNCLAS BAKU 000582
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DEPT FOR EUR/CARC AND DRL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM PREL AJ
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR RAISES HUMAN RIGHTS CASES WITH
PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR ALI HASANOV
REF: A. BAKU 557
B. BAKU 397
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED; NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION.
UNCLAS BAKU 000582
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DEPT FOR EUR/CARC AND DRL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM PREL AJ
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR RAISES HUMAN RIGHTS CASES WITH
PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR ALI HASANOV
REF: A. BAKU 557
B. BAKU 397
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED; NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION.
1. (SBU) On June 19, the Ambassador raised the case of
Azadliq newspaper reporter Agil Khalil with Presidential
Advisor Ali Hasanov. Khalil, who had been beaten and stabbed
following his investigative reporting on a suspect land deal
(ref a),told the press that he was once again prevented from
leaving Azerbaijan on June 19. In response to the
Ambassador's concerns, Hasanov said that, under Azerbaijani
law, the Prosecutor General can take steps to prevent someone
involved in a criminal case from leaving the country.
Hasanov Qd that Khalil is involved in the GOAJ's criminal
case against Sergey Strekhalin, whom the GOAJ says admitted
to stabbing Khalil onQrch 13 as part of a homosexual
lovers' spat. Hasanov said Strekhalin's trial would begin
June 20 and would be over "in three days," at which point
Khalil would be free to leave Azerbaijan. (Comment: OSCE
legal experts told us that, based on their discussions with
the Prosecutor General's Office, they believe the GOAJ has no
legal basis to prevent Khalil from leaving the country.
Khalil currently does not face any criminal charges and
presumably is involved in Strekhalin's case only as a
wQness.)
2. (SBU) The Ambassador also expressed our concern regarding
the June 14 detention and beating of Institute for Reporter
Freedom and Safety Director Emin Huseynov (ref b),and urged
the GOAJ to conduct an independent investigation of the
incident. Hasanov said that President Aliyev had instructed
him to look into the issue; Hasanov subsequently called Press
Council Chair Aflatun Amashov in to discuss the case. The
Press Council agreed to investigate Huseynov's detention and
beating as soon as its congress, scheduled for the week of
June 23, is over. Hasanov said he hoped to discuss the
investigation with Embassy PAO.
3. (SBU) The Ambassador also urged the GOAJ to take steps to
reregister the Election Monitoring Center (EMC). Hasanov
responded that, even without formal Ministry of Justice (MOJ)
registration, EMC will be able to observe and report on the
October presidential election just as it had done in the
past. When the Ambassador noted that EMC observers working
without the benefit of MOJ registration would be unable to
register formal complaints about the electoral process,
Hasanov urged DRL A/S Kramer to raise this point in his
upcoming meeting with President Aliyev.
DERSE
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
DEPT FOR EUR/CARC AND DRL
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM PREL AJ
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR RAISES HUMAN RIGHTS CASES WITH
PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR ALI HASANOV
REF: A. BAKU 557
B. BAKU 397
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED; NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION.
1. (SBU) On June 19, the Ambassador raised the case of
Azadliq newspaper reporter Agil Khalil with Presidential
Advisor Ali Hasanov. Khalil, who had been beaten and stabbed
following his investigative reporting on a suspect land deal
(ref a),told the press that he was once again prevented from
leaving Azerbaijan on June 19. In response to the
Ambassador's concerns, Hasanov said that, under Azerbaijani
law, the Prosecutor General can take steps to prevent someone
involved in a criminal case from leaving the country.
Hasanov Qd that Khalil is involved in the GOAJ's criminal
case against Sergey Strekhalin, whom the GOAJ says admitted
to stabbing Khalil onQrch 13 as part of a homosexual
lovers' spat. Hasanov said Strekhalin's trial would begin
June 20 and would be over "in three days," at which point
Khalil would be free to leave Azerbaijan. (Comment: OSCE
legal experts told us that, based on their discussions with
the Prosecutor General's Office, they believe the GOAJ has no
legal basis to prevent Khalil from leaving the country.
Khalil currently does not face any criminal charges and
presumably is involved in Strekhalin's case only as a
wQness.)
2. (SBU) The Ambassador also expressed our concern regarding
the June 14 detention and beating of Institute for Reporter
Freedom and Safety Director Emin Huseynov (ref b),and urged
the GOAJ to conduct an independent investigation of the
incident. Hasanov said that President Aliyev had instructed
him to look into the issue; Hasanov subsequently called Press
Council Chair Aflatun Amashov in to discuss the case. The
Press Council agreed to investigate Huseynov's detention and
beating as soon as its congress, scheduled for the week of
June 23, is over. Hasanov said he hoped to discuss the
investigation with Embassy PAO.
3. (SBU) The Ambassador also urged the GOAJ to take steps to
reregister the Election Monitoring Center (EMC). Hasanov
responded that, even without formal Ministry of Justice (MOJ)
registration, EMC will be able to observe and report on the
October presidential election just as it had done in the
past. When the Ambassador noted that EMC observers working
without the benefit of MOJ registration would be unable to
register formal complaints about the electoral process,
Hasanov urged DRL A/S Kramer to raise this point in his
upcoming meeting with President Aliyev.
DERSE