International Bar Association urged Azerbaijani authorities to ensure freedom of expression

The International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) has called on the Azerbaijani authorities to strengthen the guarantees of the freedom of expression and the press, recommending, in its report, to ensure the right to a fair trial on the issues relating to the freedom of expression.

The report "Azerbaijan: freedom of expression on trial" was prepared by the IBAHRI mission that visited the country in December 2013. The authors stated serious violations in the litigation process on journalists' cases with ensuring their rights, said Nadia Hardman, the programme lawyer at the IBAHRI office, London. The above violations include the lack of access to effective legal assistance, deficit of time to prepare the proper defence, deprivation of the right to summon witnesses and cross-examine their evidence.

The report analyzes the situation with the freedom of expression. Despite the formal presence of non-state TV Channels in Azerbaijan, they are subject to "government intervention; have to use self-censorship and avoid political topics."

By the number of arrested journalists and bloggers, Azerbaijan is among the global top ten "jailers of journalists". Thus, as of early 2014, 11 journalists and bloggers were imprisoned in Azerbaijan, the report says.