[governance] news from Baku

Ginger Paque ginger at paque.net
Sat Jun 23 17:56:40 EDT 2012 

 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)
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> ____________________________________________________________
> >> 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
>
>  ____________________________________________________________
> 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
>
>
> ____________________________________________________________
> 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
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.igcaucus.org/pipermail/governance/attachments/20120623/2cebbf6c/attachment.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
____________________________________________________________
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

More information about the Governance mailing list