<br><div><div>AYE</div><div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><br></div><div class="gmail_quote">On Sat, Jun 23, 2012 at 8:35 AM, Sonigitu Ekpe <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:sonigituekpe@crossriverstate.gov.ng" target="_blank">sonigituekpe@crossriverstate.gov.ng</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div><div><font>AYE</font></div><div><font>-- </font><br><font color="#0000ff" style="font-size:10pt">Sonigitu Ekpe </font><div style="font-size:10pt">
<font color="#0000ff"><b>Project Support Officer[Agriculturist]</b> </font></div><div style="font-size:10pt"><font color="#0000ff">Cross River Farm Credit Scheme </font></div><div style="font-size:10pt"><font color="#0000ff">Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources </font></div>
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<div style="font-size:10pt"> <b><font color="#ff6600"><i>"LIFE is all about love and thanksgiving" </i></font></b></div></div><br><font>Salanieta T. Tamanikaiwaimaro wrote:</font><br><blockquote style="font-size:10pt;margin-left:8px;padding-left:8px;border-left-width:1px;border-left-style:solid;border-left-color:rgb(211,211,211)">
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I propose that we as Civil Society issue a Statement. All in favour,<br>say AYE and those not in favour saÿ NAY.<br><br>Feel free to give reasons if you so wish.<br><br>On 6/22/12, Narine Khachatryan <<a href="mailto:ms.narine.khachatryan@gmail.com" target="_blank">ms.narine.khachatryan@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
> Dear all,<br>><br>> Recently the Azerbaijani parliament restricted the public access to<br>> information about the registration, ownership structure and shareholders of<br>> Azerbaijani corporations. Justification is to protect the privacy of Azeri<br>
> president and his family. Interesting. Henceforth, the general public<br>> would be denied such information, since it “contradicts the national<br>> interests of Azerbaijan".<br>><br>> Azerbaijan: Parliament Throws Veil of Secrecy over Business Sector<br>
><br>> <a href="http://www.eurasianet.org/node/65534" target="_blank">http://www.eurasianet.org/node/65534</a><br>> June 13, 2012 - 12:00pm, by Shahin<br>> Abbasov<<a href="http://www.eurasianet.org/taxonomy/term/1358" target="_blank">http://www.eurasianet.org/taxonomy/term/1358</a>><br>
><br>><br>> - Azerbaijan <<a href="http://www.eurasianet.org/resource/azerbaijan" target="_blank">http://www.eurasianet.org/resource/azerbaijan</a>><br>> - EurasiaNet's Weekly<br>> Digest<<a href="http://www.eurasianet.org/taxonomy/term/3279" target="_blank">http://www.eurasianet.org/taxonomy/term/3279</a>><br>
><br>> - Azeri Economy <<a href="http://www.eurasianet.org/taxonomy/term/3864" target="_blank">http://www.eurasianet.org/taxonomy/term/3864</a>><br>> - Azeri Politics <<a href="http://www.eurasianet.org/taxonomy/term/3670" target="_blank">http://www.eurasianet.org/taxonomy/term/3670</a>><br>
><br>> Recent legislative efforts in Azerbaijan to protect the privacy of<br>> President Ilham Aliyev and his family are coming at the expense of<br>> investors, both foreign and domestic.<br>><br>> The Azerbaijani parliament voted June 12 to restrict public access to<br>
> information about the registration, ownership structure and shareholders of<br>> Azerbaijani corporations. In addition, legislators granted President Aliyev<br>> and his wife, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, lifetime immunity from criminal<br>
> prosecution.<br>><br>> The immunity provision for the Aliyevs was not unexpected: the proposal had<br>> been under consideration for a year. But the corporate secrecy amendment<br>> was added to parliament’s agenda only after the conclusion of the May<br>
> 22-26 Eurovision<br>> Song Contest <<a href="http://www.eurasianet.org/node/65459" target="_blank">http://www.eurasianet.org/node/65459</a>>.<br>><br>> The pop-music festival, which brought unprecedented international attention<br>
> to Azerbaijan, was preceded by a series of articles by RFE/RL investigative<br>> journalist Khadija Ismayilova, who highlighted alleged conflicts of<br>> interest involving mining rights granted to a gold-mining<br>
> company<<a href="http://www.eurasianet.org/node/65357" target="_blank">http://www.eurasianet.org/node/65357</a>>owned<br>> by President Aliyev’s two daughters, Leyla and Arzu, and Eurovision<br>> construction work <<a href="http://www.eurasianet.org/node/65389" target="_blank">http://www.eurasianet.org/node/65389</a>>by a company linked<br>
> to the two Aliyevas and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, the head of<br>> Eurovision’s organizing committee. [Editor’s Note: Islamyilova also<br>> contributes to EurasiaNet].<br>><br>> By law, officials’ relatives may own businesses, but members of parliament<br>
> – the First Lady sits in the legislature for the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan<br>> Party – cannot.<br>><br>> In public statements, government officials have asserted that such<br>> investigative coverage violated the presidential family’s right to<br>
> privacy<<a href="http://www.eurasianet.org/node/62572" target="_blank">http://www.eurasianet.org/node/62572</a>>.<br>> The articles followed earlier pieces that examined the Aliyeva daughters’<br>> investments in telecommunications, airport operations and banking.<br>
><br>> Under the terms of the secrecy amendment, obtaining information about such<br>> investments now could prove more difficult. The government will release<br>> information about the registrations of for-profit companies only upon<br>
> request by a court, law-enforcement agency or Central Bank monitors<br>> investigating suspected money-laundering or the financing of terrorist<br>> groups.<br>><br>> Journalists and the general public would be denied such information if its<br>
> distribution “contradicts the national interests of Azerbaijan in<br>> political, economic and monetary policy, the defense of public order, the<br>> health and moral values of the people and harms the commercial and other<br>
> interests of individuals.”<br>><br>> In addition, corporate records will be provided only if the petitioner has<br>> the consent of those individuals named in the data.<br>><br>> Information about registered Azerbaijani companies’ ownership and<br>
> shareholders previously had been publicly available on the Ministry of<br>> Taxes’ website. The ministry was required to provide registry details to<br>> citizens within a week of receipt of a written request.<br>
><br>> All but four of the 103 members of parliament present voted in favor of the<br>> restrictions. Another two MPs did not vote; First Lady Aliyeva was not<br>> present.<br>><br>> President Aliyev is expected to sign the secrecy and immunity amendments<br>
> into law this week.<br>><br>> Government officials have not commented on the amendments, but one senior<br>> Yeni Azerbaijani Party MP who backed the new restrictions claimed the<br>> measure does not limit Azerbaijanis’ right to information. In June 6<br>
> comments to the Azeri-language service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty,<br>> Ali Huseynly, chair of the parliament’s Committee on Legal Policy and State<br>> Building, claimed that the amendment “clarifies the frameworks for the<br>
> right to receive information.” The lack of such “frameworks” often leads to<br>> “violations,” Huseynly added.<br>><br>> Parliamentarian Fazail Agamaly, a member of the pro-government Ana Vatan<br>> (Motherland) Party, asserted that “[j]ournalists should be satisfied with<br>
> the information about a company provided by its owner.”<br>><br>> “Otherwise, the release of some information could create financial problems<br>> for businesses,” Agamaly reasoned.<br>><br>> Civil society and media-rights watchdogs counter that the secrecy<br>
> amendment, indeed, is designed to prevent problems – namely, for Aliyev’s<br>> friends and family members.<br>><br>> Lawyer Intigam Aliyev [no relation to the presidential family], director of<br>> the Legal Education Society, a Baku non-governmental organization that<br>
> monitors legislation implementation, asserted the amendment is “a response<br>> of corrupt authorities to a number of articles in local and foreign media<br>> about the large business assets of the ruling family in Azerbaijan and<br>
> oligarchs.”<br>><br>> Opposition MP Igbal Aghazade, a member of the Umid (Hope) Party, who voted<br>> against the amendment, said the measure only “serves the idea of keeping<br>> information about the commercial interests of a group of high-ranking<br>
> government officials a secret.”<br>><br>> Restricting the availability of company data from the public can harm the<br>> country’s ability to fight corruption, noted Media Rights Institute<br>> Director Rashid Hajily. In 2011, Azerbaijan ranked 143rd out of 183<br>
> countries in a corruption index compiled by the international watchdog<br>> group Transparency International.<br>><br>> "Citizens will be deprived of public [oversight] over officials’ links with<br>> businesses," Hajily said. "It creates a strong foundation for the<br>
> proliferation of conflicts of interest.”<br>><br>> Meanwhile, activists who tried to<br>> highligh<<a href="http://www.eurasianet.org/node/65388" target="_blank">http://www.eurasianet.org/node/65388</a>>t<br>
> Azerbaijan’s spotty civil-rights record during the Eurovision contest say<br>> that they will fight back against the “business secrets” amendment. “We<br>> will campaign both locally and internationally, will demand in public<br>
> debates the annulment of this legislation, will raise the issue at related<br>> international conferences and in interviews with foreign media,” pledged<br>> Rasul Jafarov, head of the Human Rights Club, a Baku-based non-governmental<br>
> organization.<br>> Editor's note:<br>> Shahin Abbasov is a freelance reporter based in Baku.<br>><br>> On Thu, Jun 21, 2012 at 1:53 PM, Jean-Louis FULLSACK<br>> <<a href="mailto:jlfullsack@orange.fr" target="_blank">jlfullsack@orange.fr</a>>wrote:<br>
><br>>> Dear members of the list<br>>><br>>><br>>><br>>> latest news from Baku published by IPS<br>>><br>>><br>>><br>>> Jean-Louis Fullsack<br>>><br>>><br>
>> After the Curtain Call, a Crackdown Begins<br>>> By Shahla Sultanova <<a href="http://www.ipsnews.net/author/shahla-sultanova/" target="_blank">http://www.ipsnews.net/author/shahla-sultanova/</a>><br>
>> Republish<br>>> |<br>>><br>>> BAKU, Jun 19 2012 (IPS) - As the attention of the world faded away from<br>>> Azerbaijan after the recent Eurovision song contest, police began<br>>> targeting<br>
>> some young activists and a journalist involved in protests here last<br>>> month.<br>>><br>>> The Eurovision song contest was as much a moment of enjoyment for music<br>>> lovers as it was a fierce contest between the Azerbaijani government and<br>
>> its opponents to highlight the ‘reality’ of a politically turbulent<br>>> country; with the former presenting a respectable image to the West, and<br>>> the latter struggling to expose human rights violations and government<br>
>> suppression of basic civil liberties.<br>>><br>>> More than ten protest rallies were organised on the eve of the contest.<br>>><br>>> Human rights defenders and activists had anticipated a post-Eurovision<br>
>> crackdown, when the spotlight had turned away from the country and the<br>>> government would be free to punish those who had dared to educate the<br>>> world<br>>> about the grave situation on the ground in Azerbaijan.<br>
>><br>>> On Jun. 6, the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS), a<br>>> media<br>>> rights watchdog, was notified by the Sabail District Police Office that a<br>>> photo journalist named Mehman Huseynov, an IRFS member, had allegedly<br>
>> insulted police officers during a protest on May 21.<br>>><br>>> The district police office has now opened a criminal case against<br>>> Huseynov<br>>> under Article 221.2.2 of the Criminal Code of the Azerbaijan Republic.<br>
>> If<br>>> found guilty, Huseynov will face five years in prison.<br>>><br>>> Huseynov (23), said the accusation is related to his work, which for many<br>>> years has entailed photographing events that depict government<br>
>> wrongdoings<br>>> and disseminating them via social media.<br>>><br>>> Several months prior to Eurovision, Huseynov actively joined the Sing for<br>>> Democracy Campaign.<br>>><br>>> “I was media coordinator within the campaign. My photos and videos were<br>
>> shared in international media. Of course, they showed the reality of<br>>> Azerbaijan, (which) is unfortunately not very positive. That is why I am<br>>> a<br>>> target now,” he told IPS.<br>>><br>
>> Over 30 human rights organisations joined Sing for Democracy in an effort<br>>> to pressure organisers of the contest to demand greater democracy in<br>>> Azerbaijan.<br>>><br>>> The campaign called for the release of political prisoners, freedom of<br>
>> expression and assembly, protection of property rights and the<br>>> independence<br>>> of courts.<br>>><br>>> IRFS head Emin Huseynov, Mehman Huseynov’s older brother, links the<br>>> accusation against the latter with his profession. “It is the start of<br>
>> the<br>>> post-Eurovision crackdown. It is revenge against the IRFS for actively<br>>> informing foreign journalists and international media on the eve of<br>>> Eurovision about many harassment cases in Azerbaijan. Besides, during<br>
>> seven<br>>> years of work, we investigated many cases of pressure on journalists.<br>>> Now,<br>>> they want to punish us.”<br>>><br>>> Before the song contest, Leyla Yunus, director of the Institute of Peace<br>
>> and Democracy, had often warned of a serious backlash after the<br>>> Eurovision-fuelled tourist season died down. She believes Mehman Huseynov<br>>> is the first victim of that campaign.<br>>><br>
>> “Mehman’s work has been shared and discussed recently. Besides, he is<br>>> working for IRFS, which is critical of the government. By arresting him<br>>> they want to (blacklist) a good photo journalist and put pressure on his<br>
>> brother Emin.”<br>>><br>>> Various other activists were also brought into police stations this week.<br>>><br>>> Beyim Hasanli, a member of the opposition Popular Front Party’s Youth<br>>> Committee was called in to the Sebayil district police station on Jun. 9.<br>
>><br>>> She was asked how she got information about the May 21 protest action and<br>>> why she attended it. Hasanli was also asked if she ever noticed a media<br>>> representative being rude to the police.<br>
>> Related IPS Articles<br>>><br>>> - Sex and Censorship in<br>>> Azerbaijan<<a href="http://www.ipsnews.net/2012/05/sex-and-censorship-in-azerbaijan/" target="_blank">http://www.ipsnews.net/2012/05/sex-and-censorship-in-azerbaijan/</a>><br>
>> - Arab Spring at Azerbaijan’s<br>>> Door<<a href="http://ipsnews.net/2011/04/arab-spring-at-azerbaijanrsquos-door" target="_blank">http://ipsnews.net/2011/04/arab-spring-at-azerbaijanrsquos-door</a>><br>
>> - Azerbaijan and Israel: The Enemy of My Enemy Is My<br>>> Friend<<a href="http://ipsnews.net/2012/02/azerbaijan-and-israel-the-enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-friend" target="_blank">http://ipsnews.net/2012/02/azerbaijan-and-israel-the-enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-friend</a>><br>
>><br>>> “After that they showed me a video in which I was trying to help a woman<br>>> dragged by police. There were many journalists, including Mehman, who<br>>> tried<br>>> to film it but police would not let them do so. It also showed Mehman<br>
>> (swearing) when he was not allowed to film.”<br>>><br>>> After that Hasanli was asked to write a report on what she saw on video.<br>>><br>>> A week ago, her father was called in to the Absheron district Main Police<br>
>> Office and asked to sign a statement promising to be responsible for his<br>>> daughter’s activities.<br>>><br>>> Hasanli claims all this was done to intimidate and discourage her from<br>>> being an activist.<br>
>><br>>> Natig Adilov, a journalist with the opposition Azadlig newspaper and<br>>> activist with the Popular Front Party, was called in to the Sabirabad<br>>> police station on Jun. 13, where he was “advised” to get involved in<br>
>> better<br>>> activities than participating in protest rallies.<br>>><br>>> “They do it to scare people so that they stop their public activity. For<br>>> autocratic regimes like this, intimidation is very important to manage<br>
>> their (stronghold). It is also related to me being very active during<br>>> Eurovision,” said Adilov.<br>>><br>>> Ehsan Zahidov, spokesman for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, said the<br>>> recent slew of interrogations against activists and journalists has<br>
>> nothing<br>>> to do with their activity during the Eurovision song contest or their<br>>> political background but pertained to them violating “rules”.<br>>><br>>> “To advise people (on how to behave) is part of the job of police<br>
>> officers. They do not care about the political activity of citizens.<br>>> Natig<br>>> Adilov was just advised not to violate public order. That is it,” he told<br>>> IPS.<br>>><br>>> For Arzu Abdullayeva, human rights defender and co-chair of the Helsinki<br>
>> Citizens Assembly, recent pressure on journalists is not limited to<br>>> Eurovision activity.<br>>><br>>> “Activists have always been a threat to the Azerbaijani government. By<br>>> (putting) pressure on activists, journalists, by arresting them, the<br>
>> government (lets potential dissidents) know that they will have the same<br>>> future.”<br>>><br>>> Human rights organisations like Amnesty International and Human Rights<br>>> Watch condemned the accusation against Huseynov.<br>
>><br>>> The authorities should “drop the bogus charges against Huseynov and<br>>> ensure<br>>> that he can exercise his right to freedom of expression”, Human Rights<br>>> Watch said in its recent report.<br>
>><br>>> Amnesty International’s statement mentions that Huseynov’s arrest comes<br>>> amid a worrying rise in police harassment of young activists who<br>>> participated in protests around Eurovision.<br>
>><br>>> According to Max Tucker, Amnesty International’s Azerbaijan campaigner,<br>>> Mehman’s arrest signals the start of the widely predicted government<br>>> crackdown on those they consider responsible for negative publicity<br>
>> during<br>>> Eurovision.<br>>><br>>> (END)<br>>><br>>><br>>><br>>> ____________________________________________________________<br>>> You received this message as a subscriber on the list:<br>
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>><br>>><br>><br>><br>> --<br>> Media Education Center<br>> Yerevan, Armenia<br>><br></div></div>> <a href="http://www.mediaeducation.am" target="_blank">http://www.mediaeducation.am</a><br>
> <a href="http://www.safe.am" target="_blank">http://www.safe.am</a><br>> <a href="http://www.immasin.am" target="_blank">http://www.immasin.am</a><div><br>><br><br><br><font color="#999999">--<br>Salanieta Tamanikaiwaimaro aka Sala<br>
<br>Tweeter: @SalanietaT<br>Skype:Salanieta.Tamanikaiwaimaro<br>Cell: <a href="tel:%2B679%20998%202851" value="+6799982851" target="_blank">+679 998 2851</a><br><br></font></div></blockquote>
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</blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br>Media Education Center<div>Yerevan, Armenia</div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://www.mediaeducation.am" target="_blank">www.mediaeducation.am</a></div><div>
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