From: Justin Burke (JBurke@sorosny.org)
Date: Wed Apr 16 2003 - 11:52:37 EDT
Weekly report on events in CIS mass media
Issue no. 15 (65), April 7 - 13, 2003
I. Attacks and Threats
Azerbaijan
Police officers seized the camera from Samir Aliyev of Ekho newspaper
who was taking photographs of the picketing staged in Baku on April 8 by
parents of students expelled from the Higher Military School. The
journalist had his camera back but not before the exposed part of the
film was destroyed. The police pushed aside another journalist, Elkhan
Husanli, as he was talking to a woman picket.
Georgia/Abkhazia
It was reported on April 11 that Izida Chania, editor-in-chief of
Sukhumi-based Nuzhnaya newspaper, had been hearing threats on the
telephone. Her paper had been critical of the policies pursued by the
Abkhaz leaders, in particular Vladislav Ardzinba. Those who felt
offended by these reports threatened Chania, her family and her
colleagues back in 1999 - 2000.
III. Legal and Judicial Persecution
Azerbaijan
The Military Panel of the Appeals Court on April 11 handed out a ruling
on the appeal filed by military journalist Uzeir Jafarov. It replaced a
suspended three years and three months sentence with a three year
sentence delayed for 12 months. Jafarov intends to press for outright
acquittal.
* * *
Baku's Sabail District Court chaired by Judge Yusif Kerimov announced on
April 11 a ruling in the case of Azersun Holding's Atilla Akdogan versus
Yeni Musavat newspaper. The man felt offended by an article headlined
Azersun's Adventures in the paper's November 30,2002 issue alleging that
the holding is the mouthpiece of the Kurdish Workers'Party. The
plaintiff demands that Yeni Musavat publish a refutal of the report,
apologize to him publicly and pay him 100 million manats. The court
ordered the paper to publish a refutal and pay 9 million manats.
IV. Other Kinds of Harassiment of Editorial Boards and Journalists.
Conflicts with Authorities and NGO's
Azerbaijan
Media and Press center of the Confederation of Azerbaiajn's Journalists
discussed at its roundtable meeting on April 12 the provisions of the
draft electoral code covering journalistic activities during electoral
races. The draft enables journalists to attend meeting of election
commissions, see their documents, attend the vote counting provided that
they have an authorization from the Central Election Commission. The
draft's Article 88.8 authorizes journalists selected by the commission
to supervise the activities of other journalists. Election commissions
are to have a right to complain to law enforcement agencies, courts and
associated executive agencies when TV or radio channels or editorial
boards of periodicals act against the rules of canvassing. Under Part 2
of the article, the central election commission would set up a "press
group" of journalists who would analyze the activities of media outlets
or journalists and, if these are found to deviate from the law, to file
complaints aimed at of bringing them to justice. Speakers at the
roundtable discussion said that the draft is aimed at setting
journalists against one another and downgrading the role and
significance of journalistic organizations.
Kyrgyzstan
Agym newspaper published on April 4 an article authored by Kadyrali
Satimov and headlined Supermarket, criticizing the business activities
of Khikmatullo Abdullayev, a member of the Osh city legislature. The
legislature immediately responded with a letter to the paper's
editor-in-chief Melis Eshimkanov, saying that if it does not withdraw
the article, the paper will face a 9 million soms ($200,000) court case.
V. Restricting Access to Information
Azerbaijan
It was reported on April 12 that the Azerbaijani Internet Forum (AIF)
had expressed serious concern over a statement made by Mamedrasul
Bilalov, a senior official in the Communication Ministry, that his
agency must have a right to restrict access to sites contianing data
"inconsistent with the mentality, customs and traditions" of
Azerbaijanis for providers. AIF described the man's remarks as "an
attempt at imposing political and ideological censorship in addition to
technological censorship" In contravention of the country's
constitutional provisions and international commitments on freedom of
information.
Armenia
Only journalists of state controlled media outlets were allowed to
attend the inauguration of President Robert Kocharian on April 8. Even
they were not let into the hall and followed the ceremony on a monitor.
Kazakhstan
Opposition political figure Amirzhan Kosanov said on April 10 that the
government tries to keep mass media silent about the Kazakhgate scandal.
Central television and the most widely read Kazakhstanskaya Pravda have
not reported the developments. Private media outlets find it prudent to
follow suit.
Kyrgyzstan
Police Col. Ikram Tashbekov, the police chief in Karasuu district, Osh
region, would not meet journalists who arrived in the town of Kara-Suu,
the scene of a rally in support of Hizb-ut Tahrir religious party, on
April 4. He succeeded in dodging journalists of Internews-Kyrgyzsan,
Osh Resource Center of Mass Media, Voice of America and AKI-press news
agency and others who wanted him to comment on the event..
Comment by Viktoriay Blonskays, legal counsellor for the Center for
Journalism in Extreme Situations
(I, Azerbaijan) Article 38 of the Azerbaijani Constitution says
explicitly: "Nobody will be denied the right to share in peaceful and
unarmed assemblies, rallies, marches or picketing." In real life this
right is by no means assured in Azerbaijan because such events need
authorization and so most of them are held without one.
Under Item 8, Article 46 of the country's Mass Media Law a journalist
has a right to attend rallies and marches if he/she carries a
journalist's card.
In the case reported, the police acted illegally in obstructing them as
journalists were collecting information by using audio or visual tools
cinema filming hardware . Under the la they may use any recording
equipment.
The Center for Journalism in Extreme Situations has regrettably been
continuously receiving reports of similar police action against
journalists attending rallies, marches and picketing throughout the CIS.
Event Quantity
Attacks on journalists 1 - Azerbaijan
1 - Geordia/Abkhazia
1 - Ukraine
Journalists killed 1 - Ukraine
1 - Ukraine/Iraq
Journalists detained and arrested
Legal and judicial persecution 2 - Azerbaijan
1 - Belarus
2 - Moldova/Transdniestria
5 - Ukraine
Other kinds of harassing editorial boards and journalists 1 -
Azerbaijan
2 - Kazakhstan
2 - Kyrgyzstan
1 - Moldova
1 - Moldova/Transdniestria
1 - Ukraine
Restriction of access to information 1 - Azerbaijan
1 - Belarus
1 - Kyrgyzstan
1 - Uzbekistan
Disappeared journalists
Center for Journalism in Extreme Situations
4 Zubovsky Boulevard, Moscow 119021, Russia
phone: (+ 7 095) 201-7626; 201-3550 comm. 124
fax: (+ 7 095) 201-7626
e-mail: center@cjes.ru
Web site: www.cjes.ru
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