"Reporters without Borders" call the USA to draw attention to media freedom in Azerbaijan

Robert Menar, Secretary General of the international human rights organization "Reporters without Borders," has called the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to draw attention of her colleague Elmar Mamedyarov to a heavy situation in the area of freedoms of speech and mass media in Azerbaijan. This is the topic of R. Menar's message to Condoleezza Rice, which became available to the correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot."

"Repressions against the independent and opposition media in Azerbaijan became especially intense last autumn, and it is our strong concern," Mr. Menar writes, reminding about the fact of attack and slaughter in broad day-light of Nidzhat Guseinov, correspondent of the "Azadlyg" newspaper. He also mentions the cases of kidnapping by unknown culprits of Bakhaddin Khaziev, editor of the "Bizim Yol" newspaper, and Fikret Guseinli, correspondent of the "Azadlyg" newspaper.

"We hope you, esteemed Mr. Secretary of State, to raise all these facts of breaching the freedom of press before the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Mamedyarov, and first of all, the facts of violence against journalists," the message runs.