[governance] news from Baku

Sat Jun 30 22:14:01 EDT 2012

Thanks everyone. Yes, I will start working on a Draft Izumi and send to the
list for comments etc.

Kind Regards,
Sala

On Sun, Jul 1, 2012 at 12:26 PM, Izumi AIZU <iza at anr.org> wrote:

> Aye, and Sala would you please prepare the draft?
>
> izumi
>
>
> 2012/6/24 Ginger Paque <ginger at paque.net>
>
>>  Aye
>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Salanieta T. Tamanikaiwaimaro <
>>> salanieta.tamanikaiwaimaro at gmail.com>
>>> To: governance <governance at lists.igcaucus.org>; Narine Khachatryan <
>>> ms.narine.khachatryan at gmail.com>
>>> Cc: Jean-Louis FULLSACK <jlfullsack at orange.fr>
>>> Sent: Sat, Jun 23, 2012 3:50 am
>>> Subject: Re: [governance] news from Baku
>>>
>>>  I propose that we as Civil Society issue a Statement. All in favour,
>>> say AYE and those not in favour saÿ NAY.
>>>
>>> Feel free to give reasons if you so wish.
>>>
>>> On 6/22/12, Narine Khachatryan <ms.narine.khachatryan at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> > Dear all,
>>> >
>>> > Recently the Azerbaijani parliament restricted the public access to
>>> > information about the registration, ownership structure and shareholders of
>>> > Azerbaijani corporations. Justification is to protect the privacy of Azeri
>>> > president and his family.  Interesting. Henceforth, the general public
>>> > would be denied such information, since it “contradicts the national
>>> > interests of Azerbaijan".
>>> >
>>> > Azerbaijan: Parliament Throws Veil of Secrecy over Business Sector
>>> >
>>> > http://www.eurasianet.org/node/65534
>>> > June 13, 2012 - 12:00pm, by Shahin
>>> > Abbasov<http://www.eurasianet.org/taxonomy/term/1358>
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >    - Azerbaijan <http://www.eurasianet.org/resource/azerbaijan>
>>> >    - EurasiaNet's Weekly
>>> > Digest<http://www.eurasianet.org/taxonomy/term/3279>
>>> >
>>> >    - Azeri Economy <http://www.eurasianet.org/taxonomy/term/3864>
>>> >    - Azeri Politics <http://www.eurasianet.org/taxonomy/term/3670>
>>> >
>>> > Recent legislative efforts in Azerbaijan to protect the privacy of
>>> > President Ilham Aliyev and his family are coming at the expense of
>>> > investors, both foreign and domestic.
>>> >
>>> > The Azerbaijani parliament voted June 12 to restrict public access to
>>> > information about the registration, ownership structure and shareholders of
>>> > Azerbaijani corporations. In addition, legislators granted President Aliyev
>>> > and his wife, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, lifetime immunity from criminal
>>> > prosecution.
>>> >
>>> > The immunity provision for the Aliyevs was not unexpected: the proposal had
>>> > been under consideration for a year. But the corporate secrecy amendment
>>> > was added to parliament’s agenda only after the conclusion of the May
>>> > 22-26 Eurovision
>>> > Song Contest <http://www.eurasianet.org/node/65459>.
>>> >
>>> > The pop-music festival, which brought unprecedented international attention
>>> > to Azerbaijan, was preceded by a series of articles by RFE/RL investigative
>>> > journalist Khadija Ismayilova, who highlighted alleged conflicts of
>>> > interest involving mining rights granted to a gold-mining
>>> > company<http://www.eurasianet.org/node/65357>owned
>>> > by President Aliyev’s two daughters, Leyla and Arzu, and Eurovision
>>> > construction work <http://www.eurasianet.org/node/65389>by a company linked
>>> > to the two Aliyevas and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, the head of
>>> > Eurovision’s organizing committee. [Editor’s Note: Islamyilova also
>>> > contributes to EurasiaNet].
>>> >
>>> > By law, officials’ relatives may own businesses, but members of parliament
>>> > – the First Lady sits in the legislature for the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan
>>> > Party – cannot.
>>> >
>>> > In public statements, government officials have asserted that such
>>> > investigative coverage violated the presidential family’s right to
>>> > privacy<http://www.eurasianet.org/node/62572>.
>>> > The articles followed earlier pieces that examined the Aliyeva daughters’
>>> > investments in telecommunications, airport operations and banking.
>>> >
>>> > Under the terms of the secrecy amendment, obtaining information about such
>>> > investments now could prove more difficult. The government will release
>>> > information about the registrations of for-profit companies only upon
>>> > request by a court, law-enforcement agency or Central Bank monitors
>>> > investigating suspected money-laundering or the financing of terrorist
>>> > groups.
>>> >
>>> > Journalists and the general public would be denied such information if its
>>> > distribution “contradicts the national interests of Azerbaijan in
>>> > political, economic and monetary policy, the defense of public order, the
>>> > health and moral values of the people and harms the commercial and other
>>> > interests of individuals.”
>>> >
>>> > In addition, corporate records will be provided only if the petitioner has
>>> > the consent of those individuals named in the data.
>>> >
>>> > Information about registered Azerbaijani companies’ ownership and
>>> > shareholders previously had been publicly available on the Ministry of
>>> > Taxes’ website. The ministry was required to provide registry details to
>>> > citizens within a week of receipt of a written request.
>>> >
>>> > All but four of the 103 members of parliament present voted in favor of the
>>> > restrictions. Another two MPs did not vote; First Lady Aliyeva was not
>>> > present.
>>> >
>>> > President Aliyev is expected to sign the secrecy and immunity amendments
>>> > into law this week.
>>> >
>>> > Government officials have not commented on the amendments, but one senior
>>> > Yeni Azerbaijani Party MP who backed the new restrictions claimed the
>>> > measure does not limit Azerbaijanis’ right to information. In June 6
>>> > comments to the Azeri-language service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty,
>>> > Ali Huseynly, chair of the parliament’s Committee on Legal Policy and State
>>> > Building, claimed that the amendment “clarifies the frameworks for the
>>> > right to receive information.” The lack of such “frameworks” often leads to
>>> > “violations,” Huseynly added.
>>> >
>>> > Parliamentarian Fazail Agamaly, a member of the pro-government Ana Vatan
>>> > (Motherland) Party, asserted that “[j]ournalists should be satisfied with
>>> > the information about a company provided by its owner.”
>>> >
>>> > “Otherwise, the release of some information could create financial problems
>>> > for businesses,” Agamaly reasoned.
>>> >
>>> > Civil society and media-rights watchdogs counter that the secrecy
>>> > amendment, indeed, is designed to prevent problems – namely, for Aliyev’s
>>> > friends and family members.
>>> >
>>> > Lawyer Intigam Aliyev [no relation to the presidential family], director of
>>> > the Legal Education Society, a Baku non-governmental organization that
>>> > monitors legislation implementation, asserted the amendment is “a response
>>> > of corrupt authorities to a number of articles in local and foreign media
>>> > about the large business assets of the ruling family in Azerbaijan and
>>> > oligarchs.”
>>> >
>>> > Opposition MP Igbal Aghazade, a member of the Umid (Hope) Party, who voted
>>> > against the amendment, said the measure only “serves the idea of keeping
>>> > information about the commercial interests of a group of high-ranking
>>> > government officials a secret.”
>>> >
>>> > Restricting the availability of company data from the public can harm the
>>> > country’s ability to fight corruption, noted Media Rights Institute
>>> > Director Rashid Hajily. In 2011, Azerbaijan ranked 143rd out of 183
>>> > countries in a corruption index compiled by the international watchdog
>>> > group Transparency International.
>>> >
>>> > "Citizens will be deprived of public [oversight] over officials’ links with
>>> > businesses," Hajily said. "It creates a strong foundation for the
>>> > proliferation of conflicts of interest.”
>>> >
>>> > Meanwhile, activists who tried to
>>> > highligh<http://www.eurasianet.org/node/65388>t
>>> > Azerbaijan’s spotty civil-rights record during the Eurovision contest say
>>> > that they will fight back against the “business secrets” amendment. “We
>>> > will campaign both locally and internationally, will demand in public
>>> > debates the annulment of this legislation, will raise the issue at related
>>> > international conferences and in interviews with foreign media,” pledged
>>> > Rasul Jafarov, head of the Human Rights Club, a Baku-based non-governmental
>>> > organization.
>>> > Editor's note:
>>> >  Shahin Abbasov is a freelance reporter based in Baku.
>>> >
>>> > On Thu, Jun 21, 2012 at 1:53 PM, Jean-Louis FULLSACK
>>> > <jlfullsack at orange.fr>wrote:
>>> >
>>> >> Dear members of the list
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >> latest news from Baku published by IPS
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >> Jean-Louis Fullsack
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >> After the Curtain Call, a Crackdown Begins
>>> >> By Shahla Sultanova <http://www.ipsnews.net/author/shahla-sultanova/>
>>> >> Republish
>>> >> |
>>> >>
>>> >> BAKU, Jun 19 2012 (IPS) - As the attention of the world faded away from
>>> >> Azerbaijan after the recent Eurovision song contest, police began
>>> >> targeting
>>> >> some young activists and a journalist involved in protests here last
>>> >> month.
>>> >>
>>> >> The Eurovision song contest was as much a moment of enjoyment for music
>>> >> lovers as it was a fierce contest between the Azerbaijani government and
>>> >> its opponents to highlight the ‘reality’ of a politically turbulent
>>> >> country; with the former presenting a respectable image to the West, and
>>> >> the latter struggling to expose human rights violations and government
>>> >> suppression of basic civil liberties.
>>> >>
>>> >> More than ten protest rallies were organised on the eve of the contest.
>>> >>
>>> >> Human rights defenders and activists had anticipated a post-Eurovision
>>> >> crackdown, when the spotlight had turned away from the country and the
>>> >> government would be free to punish those who had dared to educate the
>>> >> world
>>> >> about the grave situation on the ground in Azerbaijan.
>>> >>
>>> >> On Jun. 6, the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS), a
>>> >> media
>>> >> rights watchdog, was notified by the Sabail District Police Office that a
>>> >> photo journalist named Mehman Huseynov, an IRFS member, had allegedly
>>> >> insulted police officers during a protest on May 21.
>>> >>
>>> >> The district police office has now opened a criminal case against
>>> >> Huseynov
>>> >> under Article 221.2.2 of the Criminal Code of the Azerbaijan Republic.
>>> >> If
>>> >> found guilty, Huseynov will face five years in prison.
>>> >>
>>> >> Huseynov (23), said the accusation is related to his work, which for many
>>> >> years has entailed photographing events that depict government
>>> >> wrongdoings
>>> >> and disseminating them via social media.
>>> >>
>>> >> Several months prior to Eurovision, Huseynov actively joined the Sing for
>>> >> Democracy Campaign.
>>> >>
>>> >> “I was media coordinator within the campaign. My photos and videos were
>>> >> shared in international media.  Of course, they showed the reality of
>>> >> Azerbaijan, (which) is unfortunately not very positive. That is why I am
>>> >> a
>>> >> target now,” he told IPS.
>>> >>
>>> >> Over 30 human rights organisations joined Sing for Democracy in an effort
>>> >> to pressure organisers of the contest to demand greater democracy in
>>> >> Azerbaijan.
>>> >>
>>> >> The campaign called for the release of political prisoners, freedom of
>>> >> expression and assembly, protection of property rights and the
>>> >> independence
>>> >> of courts.
>>> >>
>>> >> IRFS head Emin Huseynov, Mehman Huseynov’s older brother, links the
>>> >> accusation against the latter with his profession. “It is the start of
>>> >> the
>>> >> post-Eurovision crackdown. It is revenge against the IRFS for actively
>>> >> informing foreign journalists and international media on the eve of
>>> >> Eurovision about many harassment cases in Azerbaijan. Besides, during
>>> >> seven
>>> >> years of work, we investigated many cases of pressure on journalists.
>>> >> Now,
>>> >> they want to punish us.”
>>> >>
>>> >> Before the song contest, Leyla Yunus, director of the Institute of Peace
>>> >> and Democracy, had often warned of a serious backlash after the
>>> >> Eurovision-fuelled tourist season died down. She believes Mehman Huseynov
>>> >> is the first victim of that campaign.
>>> >>
>>> >> “Mehman’s work has been shared and discussed recently. Besides, he is
>>> >> working for IRFS, which is critical of the government. By arresting him
>>> >> they want to (blacklist) a good photo journalist and put pressure on his
>>> >> brother Emin.”
>>> >>
>>> >> Various other activists were also brought into police stations this week.
>>> >>
>>> >> Beyim Hasanli, a member of the opposition Popular Front Party’s Youth
>>> >> Committee was called in to the Sebayil district police station on Jun. 9.
>>> >>
>>> >> She was asked how she got information about the May 21 protest action and
>>> >> why she attended it. Hasanli was also asked if she ever noticed a media
>>> >> representative being rude to the police.
>>> >>  Related IPS Articles
>>> >>
>>> >>    - Sex and Censorship in
>>> >> Azerbaijan<http://www.ipsnews.net/2012/05/sex-and-censorship-in-azerbaijan/>
>>> >>    - Arab Spring at Azerbaijan’s
>>> >> Door<http://ipsnews.net/2011/04/arab-spring-at-azerbaijanrsquos-door>
>>> >>    - Azerbaijan and Israel: The Enemy of My Enemy Is My
>>> >> Friend<http://ipsnews.net/2012/02/azerbaijan-and-israel-the-enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-friend>
>>> >>
>>> >>  “After that they showed me a video in which I was trying to help a woman
>>> >> dragged by police. There were many journalists, including Mehman, who
>>> >> tried
>>> >> to film it but police would not let them do so. It also showed Mehman
>>> >> (swearing) when he was not allowed to film.”
>>> >>
>>> >> After that Hasanli was asked to write a report on what she saw on video.
>>> >>
>>> >> A week ago, her father was called in to the Absheron district Main Police
>>> >> Office and asked to sign a statement promising to be responsible for his
>>> >> daughter’s activities.
>>> >>
>>> >> Hasanli claims all this was done to intimidate and discourage her from
>>> >> being an activist.
>>> >>
>>> >> Natig Adilov, a journalist with the opposition Azadlig newspaper and
>>> >> activist with the Popular Front Party, was called in to the Sabirabad
>>> >> police station on Jun. 13, where he was “advised” to get involved in
>>> >> better
>>> >> activities than participating in protest rallies.
>>> >>
>>> >> “They do it to scare people so that they stop their public activity. For
>>> >> autocratic regimes like this, intimidation is very important to manage
>>> >> their (stronghold). It is also related to me being very active during
>>> >> Eurovision,” said Adilov.
>>> >>
>>> >> Ehsan Zahidov, spokesman for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, said the
>>> >> recent slew of interrogations against activists and journalists has
>>> >> nothing
>>> >> to do with their activity during the Eurovision song contest or their
>>> >> political background but pertained to them violating “rules”.
>>> >>
>>> >> “To advise people (on how to behave) is part of the job of police
>>> >> officers. They do not care about the political activity of citizens.
>>> >> Natig
>>> >> Adilov was just advised not to violate public order. That is it,” he told
>>> >> IPS.
>>> >>
>>> >> For Arzu Abdullayeva, human rights defender and co-chair of the Helsinki
>>> >> Citizens Assembly, recent pressure on journalists is not limited to
>>> >> Eurovision activity.
>>> >>
>>> >> “Activists have always been a threat to the Azerbaijani government. By
>>> >> (putting) pressure on activists, journalists, by arresting them, the
>>> >> government (lets potential dissidents) know that they will have the same
>>> >> future.”
>>> >>
>>> >> Human rights organisations like Amnesty International and Human Rights
>>> >> Watch condemned the accusation against Huseynov.
>>> >>
>>> >> The authorities should “drop the bogus charges against Huseynov and
>>> >> ensure
>>> >> that he can exercise his right to freedom of expression”, Human Rights
>>> >> Watch said in its recent report.
>>> >>
>>> >> Amnesty International’s statement mentions that Huseynov’s arrest comes
>>> >> amid a worrying rise in police harassment of young activists who
>>> >> participated in protests around Eurovision.
>>> >>
>>> >> According to Max Tucker, Amnesty International’s Azerbaijan campaigner,
>>> >> Mehman’s arrest signals the start of the widely predicted government
>>> >> crackdown on those they consider responsible for negative publicity
>>> >> during
>>> >> Eurovision.
>>> >>
>>> >> (END)
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >>
>>> >> ____________________________________________________________
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>>> >>
>>> >
>>> >
>>> > --
>>> > Media Education Center
>>> > Yerevan, Armenia
>>> >
>>> > www.mediaeducation.am
>>> > www.safe.am
>>> > www.immasin.am
>>> >
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Salanieta Tamanikaiwaimaro aka Sala
>>>
>>> Tweeter: @SalanietaT
>>> Skype:Salanieta.Tamanikaiwaimaro
>>> Cell: +679 998 2851
>>>
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>>
>> ____________________________________________________________
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>>
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>>
>
>
> --
>                      >> Izumi Aizu <<
> Institute for InfoSocionomics, Tama University, Tokyo
> Institute for HyperNetwork Society, Oita,
> Japan
> www.anr.org
>
>

-- 
Salanieta Tamanikaiwaimaro aka Sala

Tweeter: @SalanietaT
Skype:Salanieta.Tamanikaiwaimaro
Cell: +679 998 2851
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