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SCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović deplored today the intensifying harassment of media freedom activists and organizations, most recently the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS) and its Chair Emin Huseynov, the statement is published on the official site of the organization.

According to reports, today unidentified people in plain clothes have been attempting to breach the IRFS office while representatives of the Prosecutor’s Office searched the home of Emin Huseynov’s mother and confiscated her computer equipment. On 5 August airport authorities prevented Huseynov from leaving Baku on his way to Istanbul, where he was scheduled to receive urgent medical treatment. No official explanation of the travel ban has been given.

“The attempts to raid the IRFS office, intimidation of Emin Huseynov’s family and the imposed travel ban are further proof of a wide-scale deterioration of the media freedom situation in Azerbaijan that includes targeted persecution of independent journalists, freedom of expression advocates and bloggers. I once again call on the authorities to stop the continued persecution of media and free voices in the country,” Mijatović stated.

Earlier, on 6 August, the Representative sent a letter to the Foreign Minister of Azerbaijan Elmar Mammadyarov asking him to lift the restrictive travel ban on Huseynov so that he may seek out the medical attention he needs, the statement reads.

Mijatović also noted that the bank accounts of the Media Rights Institute (MRI), a prominent Azerbaijani media NGO, and its Director Rashid Hajili have been frozen as part of the ongoing criminal restrictions. In the same statement Mijatović voiced concern over the arrest of Rasul Jafarov, a free expression advocate and human rights defender.

“These cases and accompanying smear campaigns have resulted in worrying setbacks for the development of free expression in Azerbaijan that create a chilling effect on media and society as a whole. Such actions should not be aimed at silencing critical voices. I strongly urge the Government of Azerbaijan to comply with its OSCE commitments and enable journalists and freedom of expression advocates to work in an environment free from intimidation,” Mijatović statement reads.

Mijatović also said she was confident that a visit to Baku in the near future would help address these issues.

At the last session of the PACE in Strasburg Rasul Jafarov and several other human rights activists made a report on political prisoners in Azerbaijan. A month ago, at the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE in Baku Jafarov and other activists held a public hearing on civil society issues. Both of these events have caused a backlash in Baku. Authorities got furious with the decision of PACE to appoint a special rapporteur on political prisoners in Azerbaijan.

Human rights activist Leyla Yunus was arrested on 30 July in her house yard. A number of charges were brought up against her among them that of state treason. According to the Institute for Peace and Democracy (IPD) of Azerbaijan as of 21 May 2014 there were 130 victims of political repressions in Azerbaijan: 41 of which are prisoners of conscience and 89 are political prisoners.