|
January
26, 2001
To:
President Heidar Aliyev
FAX +994 12 92 06 25
Your
Excellency:
The
International League for Human Rights, a non-governmental
organization in consultative status at ECOSOC UN is
concerned about the closure of two independent television
stations during the last three weeks.
On
January 25, 2001, the day Azerbaijan formally became
a member of the Council of Europe, a regional independent
television station, Mingechevir TV, stopped broadcasting.
Station president Vahid Mamedov decided to close his
station after being warned by Mingechevir Police Major
Tahir Badalov that continuing to operate would result
in criminal charges. Major Badalov was allegedly acting
on letters received from the State Radio Frequencies
Commission and the Ministry of Internal Affairs stating
that the Mingechevir station does not operate on an
official frequency.
The
case of DMR TV in Balakan is similar. This station ceased
broadcasting on January 8 of this year, following intimidation
of the station's president, Mustafa Dibirov, by the
Balakan Deputy Chief of Police. Mr. Dibirov was forced
to write a letter promising that he would not open his
television station until he has received an official
government license to broadcast.
Both
DMR TV and Mingechevir TV have, over several years,
repeatedly asked your government for an official frequency
on which to broadcast. For years both stations (and
others) have been denied these frequencies, without
which official licenses cannot be issued. Satisfactory
reasons for these refusals are never offered. Moreover,
the League understands that four of the remaining regional
stations have received letters from the government reminding
them that they do not have licenses, which causes concern
that perhaps these are soon to be intimidated into shutting
down.
The
League is concerned about the continuing, and recently
stepped-up campaign to crack down on the independent
media in Azerbaijan. We are particularly concerned that,
with the closing of Mingechevir TV, this campaign intensified
on the very day Azerbaijan was accepted into the Council
of Europe. In light of your country's accession to the
Council, the League urges you to live up to the promises
you made during the official ceremony of acceptance
to implement democratic changes in the country. The
first step to do this would be to cease all harassment
of independent media and ensure that these gross violations
of the basic principles of freedom of expression are
ended immediately.
Thank
you for your attention, we await your response.
Sincerely,
Catherine
Fitzpatrick
Executive Director
|
