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The Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS) has sent a letter to the President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, IRFS said on its website.

The appeal asks for help in addressing the lack of information on the efforts to catch the criminals behind the murder of Monitor journal editor-in-chief Elmar Huseynov, the ban of foreign radio stations from local radio airwaves, the lack of local access to alternative television and radio broadcasting, the poor situation of print media, and on harassments against journalists.

In addition, another appeal was sent to the French President by the organizations that launched a human rights campaign on the eve of Eurovision 2012. The authors of the appeal informed Mr. Sarkozy about Azerbaijan’s problems in freedom of expression and speech, property rights, political prisoners, and freedom of assembly, and emphasized the need to address these problems.

The appeal noted the repressions launched against opposition representatives and youth activists since early 2011, asked the French President to discuss these issues at his meeting with President Ilham Aliyev, and called on his help to solve the issues ahead of Eurovision 2012.

The “Free music in non-free country” human rights campaign was initiated by the Alliance for Protection of Political Freedoms, Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety, Peace and Democracy Institute, and Human Rights Club. Since then the following organizations have joined the campaign.