OSCE DISPLEASED WITH AZERBAIJAN
Support A1+!Walter Schwimmer, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, and Freimut Duve, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, today made the following joint statement regarding the media situation in Azerbaijan.
"We are deeply concerned by the continuous reports regarding harassment of the media and intimidation of journalists in Azerbaijan.
We are in particular alarmed by the fate of the newspaper Yeni Musavat, which has been sentenced to three fines amounting in total to 100,000 US Dollars and whose bank account has been frozen. We are all the more worried that this may discourage critical reporting at a time when media pluralism and the full and unhindered exercise of press freedoms will be essential in the run up to the forthcoming presidential elections.
We trust that the Azerbaijani authorities will take all necessary steps in order to ensure that such obstruction does not take place in Azerbaijan and to guarantee respect for freedom of the media.
We are also extremely concerned about the attack against several journalists outside the main Baku Police Station that took place on 8 September 2003. As a result, ten journalists have been injured. We expect the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation of this assault against media representatives as soon as possible and to inform our respective organisations of its results, and we expect the Government of Azerbaijan to ensure that a free and open media landscape prevails in their country."
