[governance] news from Baku

Sat Jun 23 14:57:13 EDT 2012

AYE

JL Fullsack

> Message du 23/06/12 12:10
> De : "Benedek, Wolfgang (wolfgang.benedek at uni-graz.at)" 
> A : "governance at lists.igcaucus.org" , "Koven Ronald" , "salanieta.tamanikaiwaimaro at gmail.com" , "ms.narine.khachatryan at gmail.com" 
> Copie à : "jlfullsack at orange.fr" 
> Objet : Re: [governance] news from Baku
> 
>

aye

Wolfgang Benedek

>

>
Von: Koven Ronald 
> Antworten an: "governance at lists.igcaucus.org" , Koven Ronald 
> An: "governance at lists.igcaucus.org" , "salanieta.tamanikaiwaimaro at gmail.com" , "ms.narine.khachatryan at gmail.com" 
> Cc: "jlfullsack at orange.fr" 
> Betreff: Re: [governance] news from Baku
>

>
aye
>

> 
> 
>
-----Original Message-----
> From: Salanieta T. Tamanikaiwaimaro 
> To: governance ; Narine Khachatryan 
> Cc: Jean-Louis FULLSACK 
> 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  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 > > > - Azerbaijan  > - EurasiaNet's Weekly > Digest > > - Azeri Economy > - Azeri Politics  > > 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 . > > 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 > companyowned > by President Aliyev’s two daughters, Leyla and Arzu, and Eurovision > construction work 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. > 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 > highlight > 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 > 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  >> 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 >> - Arab Spring at Azerbaijan’s >> Door >> - 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) >> >> >> >> ____________________________________________________________ >> You received this message as a subscriber on the list: >> governance at lists.igcaucus.org >> To be removed from the list, visit: >> http://www.igcaucus.org/unsubscribing >> >> For all other list information and functions, see: >> http://lists.igcaucus.org/info/governance >> To edit your profile and to find the IGC's charter, see: >> http://www.igcaucus.org/ >> >> Translate this email: http://translate.google.com/translate_t >> >> > > > -- > 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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