‘‘Committee to Protect Journalists,’’ condemns Azerbaijani authorities for banning journalist M. Huseynov to leave the country
Authorities in Azerbaijan should lift the travel ban imposed against journalist Mehman Huseynov and allow him to travel freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CJP) said today.
"Authorities should drop their charges against Huseynov and allow him to travel without restrictions," said Muzaffar Suleymanov, CPJ Europe and Central Asia research associate.
Press freedom has deteriorated in Azerbaijan in the last two years, threatening the public's access to uncensored news ahead of the October 2013 presidential elections. At least seven independent journalists are currently being held in Azerbaijani jails, while others are subjected to intimidation, attacks, and threats of being imprisoned, CPJ research shows.
Officer of the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Security (IRFS) Mehman Huseynov was arrested on June 17 in the morning at the Baku airport. The reporter was not allowed to leave Azerbaijan for Norway, where the awarding ceremony of M. Huseynov with prestigious international journalism award after Gerd Bucerius titled "Free Press of Eastern Europe - 2013" was to be held. The Azerbaijani authorities have motivated their decision by presenting a criminal case against Huseynov. The journalist believes the travel ban was unreasonable.