To: President Heidar Aliyev FAX +994 12 920625

CC: Prosecutor General Eldar Gasanov FAX +994 12 922663

Your Excellencies:

The International League for Human Rights, a non-governmental organization devoted to protecting human rights defenders, is concerned about reports from our colleagues in Baku of recent harassment of the attorneys of Rauf Arifoglu, the recently arrested editor-in-chief of Yeni Musavat

According to local sources, on August 30, 2000, Vidadi Mahmudov, a member of the Collegium of Advocates of Azerbaijan and one of the three attorneys representing Mr. Arifoglu, was issued a stern verbal warning in the General Prosecutor's office not to disseminate any information affirming his client's innocence. The following day, August 31, 2000, this warning was repeated in written form. Mahmudov is also accused of "divulging information concerning the investigation" although the prosecutor provided no details about this claim and Mahmudov has not violated his client's confidentiality nor revealed any information about the course of the investigation other than to claim his client's innocence.

The League believes that such treatment of lawyers in Azerbaijan contradicts international standards for civil and political rights as well as the protection of human rights of defenders established by the United Nations (such as the 1998 Defenders Declaration of the General Assembly and the 1990 UN Basic Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary). The fact that these lawyers represent the editor of an opposition magazine strongly suggests the political nature of the harassment. The League urges you to use the powers of your office to stop any further intimidation of the attorneys of Mr. Arifoglu and to ensure that lawyers in Azerbaijan, even those in politically sensitive cases, are able to practice their professions freely and safely.

Sincerely,

Catherine A. Fitzpatrick
Executive Director