H. E. Ilham Aliyev
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan
Office of the President
19 Istiqlaiyyat St.
370066, Baku
Azerbaijan

Fax: +994 12 92 06 25/ 92 28 68

Vienna, 21 January 2004

Your Excellency,

The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in over 120 countries, is deeply concerned about the ongoing harassment of the independent media in Azerbaijan.

According to information provided to IPI, the independent private printing press “Chap Evi”, which prints the majority of the opposition newspapers, was without electricity for three days. The electricity was cut off on 7 January, and consequently some of the leading opposition dailies, including Yeni Musavat, Hurriyyet, Baki Khaber and Yeni Zaman, could not be printed for three days.

The power cut originated at the Azneftyag Oil Exploitation Factory and as the printing press owner was told, it was initiated by the factory’s administration. Power was back on 10 January from another line, which was then cut off on 11 January by people claiming they were sent by Azneftyag’s director. The power lines remain cut.

With regard to former events, this seems to be another attempt by the government to stop the independent printing press and control the independent media. Furthermore, the power cut cost the printing press and newspapers millions of manats in lost revenue. According to Chap Evi’s owner, Shahbaz Khuduoglu, this is an attempt to force all newspapers to be printed at the state printing press and bankrupt the independent printing presses. Opposition media in Azerbaijan are mainly newspapers.

IPI would like to remind Your Excellency, that this is one of the many violations of freedom of the press since the presidential elections in October. In addition, IPI is worried that the attack may be part of an ongoing attempt to harass and intimidate the independent media.

With the above in mind, IPI calls on Your Excellency to do everything possible to stop violations of freedom of the press, and ensure that the newspapers are allowed to publish.

Yours sincerely,

Johann P. Fritz
Director