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DemocracyAlerts

From time to time, the World Movement for Democracy issues alerts concerning participants and other colleagues who are, or may be, facing personal danger due to their work on behalf of democracy and for whom a vigorous response from around the world may be critical.

To see previous alerts go to www.wmd.org/democracyalerts/democracyAlerts.html.

On February 22, 20-year-old Azerbaijani journalist Agil Khalilov was attacked and beaten when participants in an illegal land sale spotted him trying to film them with a video camera.  Khalilov works for the opposition newspaper, AZADLIG.  According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Khalilov’s assailants broke one of his fingers, tried to strangle him, and grabbed his camera and documents.  Passers-by who came to Khalilov’s aid said his assailants included local government representatives and a ministry official.  AZADLIG has long been the target of harassment.   Its editor, Ganimat Zahidov, is currently being held on charges of “aggravated hooliganism.”  His brother, Sakit Zahidov, a reporter for the newspaper, was sentenced on October 4, 2006 to three years in prison for possession of drugs for personal consumption although prosecutors failed to demonstrate that he in fact committed this crime.

The Baku-based Institute of Peace and Democracy (IPD), a participating organization in the World Movement for Democracy, has prepared a report about the physical attacks and crimes committed against journalists from March 2005 to March 2007.  In light of recent events, IPD is now collecting information for the past year.  IPD invites journalists who have been assaulted in the last year and their attorneys to send information about employees the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Public Prosecutor's Office who were involved in investigations of the crimes committed against the journalists.  Journalists can email their information to ipd@online.az or send their information via fax to +99 412 494 1458.

For more information about the attack on Khalilov, go to: www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=25898

For more information on the current state of media freedom in Azerbaijan, go to: www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=25485