His Excellency Heydar Aliyev
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan
Office of the President
19 Istiqlaiyyat St.
370066, Baku, Azerbaijan

Fax: +994 12 92 06 25

Vienna, 4 June 2003

Your Excellency,

The International Press Institute (IPI), the global network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in over 115 countries, strongly condemns the recent arrest of Elnur Sadiqli.

According to information provided to IPI, Elnur Sadiqli, a regional correspondent for the opposition daily Azadliq, was arrested in Azerbaijan’s Dashkesen district on 29 May later tried for “hooliganism” and sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment.

Sadiqli has previously been expelled from the Dashkesen on several occasions because of his criticism of local authorities. He has also faced continual pressure from local government officials while working in the region.

IPI regards the incarceration of journalists as gross violations of everyone’s right to “seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers” as guaranteed by Article 19 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Bearing in mind the above, IPI believes that the arrest and imprisonment of Elnur Sadiqli is yet another attempt to silence the independent media in Azerbaijan. Indeed, in recent years, it has become increasingly clear to IPI that Your Excellency’s government refuses to accept the legitimate right of the media in Azerbaijan to report independently.

Therefore, IPI calls on Your Excellency to ensure that the charges against Elnur Sadiqli are dropped and that Azerbaijan’s journalists are allowed to carry out their profession without further harassment.

We thank you for your attention.

Yours sincerely,

Johann P. Fritz
Director