In Azerbaijan, on Day of National Press independent journalists state problems with the freedom of press

On July 22, Azerbaijan marks the Day of National Press. 136 years ago, on July 22, 1875, the first issue of the first newspaper in the Azerbaijani language "Ekinchi" (Ploughman) was published by the outstanding Azerbaijani educator Gasan Bek Zardabi. The Day of National Press is marked since Azerbaijan gained its independence in 1991.

By tradition, workers of independent media and human rights activists of Azerbaijan visited the graves of Gasan Bek Zardabi; Elmar Guseinov, editor-in-chief of the "Monitor" magazine, who was killed on March 2, 2005, at the door of his flat; and Nadjaf Nadjafov, the founder of the modern democratic press in Azerbaijan. Besides, they laid flowers on the graves of the journalists killed at performance of their professional duties in the warfare in Karabakh.

When speaking at a rally at the grave of Elmar Guseinov, Emin Guseinov, Director of the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS), said that the freedom of the media is strangled in the country. According to his story, the media have mostly passed over "under the control of the government."
According to Emin Guseinov, since the start of the year, they registered 52 facts of pressure on journalists. For the first time since 2006, they see the resumed practice of kidnapping and beating journalists. Moreover, for the first time in modern Azerbaijan three foreign (Swedish) journalists were deported.

Rashid Gadjily, Director of the Institute of Media Rights (IMR), described the situation with the freedom of expression as "heavy." "Unfortunately, we have to mark the Day of National Press on July 22 in far from festive atmosphere," he said.

In the first half of 2011, 27 trials related to the freedom of expression continued; 11 of them were initiated this year. The lawsuits against journalists and media were mainly lodged by state officials. The total sum of lodged claims makes 630,000 manats (about 760,000 US dollars). Besides, the claimants demand to arrest six journalists. The situation with the freedom of information is same grave. Thus, out of 147 requests forwarded to the parliament, executive and judicial bodies, and to the Baku Mayoralty, only 56 were responded.

On the eve of the Day of National Press, the IRFS and IMR also issued their reports on the situation with the freedom of media, where, along with stating the problems, they put forward several recommendations to the authorities, namely: to decriminalize defamation; to establish an independent institute of information ombudsman; to form a free advertisement market; to stop pressure on institutions of the civil society; and to liberalize the legislation in this area.