Together with the Human Rights House Foundation, Norwegian PEN, English PEN, Norwegian Union of Journalists, Rafto Foundation, Index of Censorship and ARTICLE 19, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee condemn the illegal confiscation of material and documentary footage from the Norwegian filmmaker Erling Borgen and the cameraman Dag Inge Dahl in Baku Airport on May 6, 2010. We call upon Azerbaijani authorities to honour Azerbaijan’s international human rights obligations and restore the seized property to the owners. Read the statement here

In a letter to the government of Azerbaijan, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, together with members of the Human Rights House Network call upon the Azerbaijani authorities to immediately execute the decision of the European Court of Human Rights from 22 April 2010 in the case ‘Fatullayev v. Azerbaijan’ (application no 40984/07), to release the journalist from detention and compensate him for the damages he has suffered. Read the statement here

This week the Norwegian Helsinki Committee presents its report Azerbaijan's Dark Island: Human Rights violations in Nakchivan at the winter session of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE). NHC’s Berit Lindeman and Vugar Gojaev accompanies the 2009 Rafto award winner Malahat Nasibova from Nakhchivan and her husband. Ane Bonde of the Human Rights House Foundation is also part of the delegation. The purpose of the visit to PACE is to raise the grave human rights situation in Nakhchivan as well as the media situation in general in Azerbaijan. - The Council of Europe has the potential of playing an important role for the improvement of human rights in Azerbaijan. In January nine years ago, Azerbaijan became a full member of this European human rights body, on condition of improving several areas of its democracy and human rights conduct. Azerbaijan has largely failed to fulfill its commitment, and we believe that the Council of Europe may intensify its efforts to push the Azerbaijani Government into taking real steps to secure the rule of law for Azerbaijani citizens and to allow or a free press, Lindeman says. – We will hold meetings with the Council of Europe Human Rights Commissioner Thomas Hammarberg, the PACE rapporteur on Azerbaijani affairs Andres Herkel, the Norwegian delegation to the Parliamentary assembly and a number of others in Strasbourg.
Download the report here
Read Common Statement on Human Rights in Azerbaijan here

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Two employees of the Nakhchivan-based “Democracy and NGO Development Resource Center” were attacked and seriously beaten by an orchestrated group of athletic mobsters on 15 December. Both NGO activists, Ilgar Nasibov and Vafadar Eyvazov were trying to arrange a seminar in the University as part of the project funded by the Norwegian Embassy to combat widespread corruption at Nakhchivan State University. At that time, a group of some fifty sportsmen studying at Sport faculty of the University urged the activists to leave the University campus. When refused, the sportsmen dragged out the activists and fell them down and beat them heavily.
Malahat Nasibova, 2009 Rafto award-winning journalist of «Azadliq» radio (Azerbaijani service of RFERL), who also heads the “Democracy and NGO development Resource Center”, said her husband Ilgar Nasibov and employee Vafadar Eyvazov suffer from rib fractures caused by heavy injuries on abdominal cavity and spine. Les mer

Today, the CoE Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) publishes the report of its ad hoc visit to Azerbaijan in December 2008. Even though visits were conducted also in 2004, 2005 and 2006 the Government of Azerbaijan has not agreed to publish any of the reports since 2002. The delegation visited several places of detention as well as hospitals and psychiatric institutions and received several credible allegations from prisoners of deliberate physical ill-treatment and excessive use of force by prison officers. The delegation also revealed insufficient health care systems, overcrowding and excessive use on confinement of prisoners to the cell. Although some improvements to the physical conditions of places of detention was observed, the conditions in non-refurbished ward remains poor. Les mer

The Human Rights House Foundation, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, the Rafto Foundation, the South Caucasus Network of Human Rights Defenders and the Belarusian Human Rights House in exile in Vilnius are concerned about the noticeable tendency in Azerbaijan to put local non-governmental organisations under increased government control
following the recent amendments to the NGO law. The amended law allows the government to collect information on NGOs without referring to any specific purpose articulated in this or other laws. This concern was expressed in a letter the above mentioned organisations sent to the Minister of Justice Fikrat Mammadov on friday 6 November.Read the letter here

The 2009 Rafto Prize for Human Rights was awarded to journalist and human rights defender Malahat Nasibova from Azerbaijan on 1 November. The award ceremony took place at the National Venue of Theatre in Bergen. - It is a great honour for me to receive this prize, and I will use it to build an island of freedom in an ocean of tyranny, said Nasibova after the ceremony. This years Rafto laureate is a journalist an human rights defender from the autonomous republic Nakhchivan, which is a part of Azerbaijan, but an enclave, bordering Iran, Armenia and Turkey. Risking her own safety, she reports on abuse of power, human rights violations and corruption in Nakhchivan. As a correspondent for the independent information bureau, 'Turan' in Azerbaijan and for 'Radio Free Europe'/'Radio Liberty', she is the brave voice reporting on violations by the police against ordinary citizens, kidnapping of members of the opposition, and attacks on journalists. The Rafto price can hopefully give Nasibova protection from the persecution that she and her family has been a victim of for several years. With the Rafto price for human rights given to a prominent human rights defender from Azerbaijan, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee encourages the Norwegian government to continue to lead the way in criticising the Azerbaijani government when it comes to grave situation for human rights in the country. Torbjørn Jagland, the newly elected Secretary general of the Council of Europe, should also seize this opportunity, and demand that Azerbaijan fulfill their international obligations as a member of the Council of Europe, and respect basic human rights. Read Malahat Nasibova's acceptance speech

The Rafto Prize for 2009 goes to journalist and human rights activist Malahat Nasibova. The Norwegian Helsinki Committee would like to congratulate Malahat Nasibova with this years Rafto Price. The prize will hopefully lead to a greater focus on the grave situation for independent press and human rights in Azerbaijan. Nasibova has been awarded the prize for her courageous and unwavering struggle for a free and independent press. Risking her own safety, she reports on abuse of power, human rights violations and corruption in the isolated autonomous republic Nakhchivan, which is part of Azerbaijan. Malahat Nasibova (40) is a correspondent for the independent information bureau, ‘Turan’ in Azerbaijan and for ‘Radio Free Europe’/‘Radio Liberty’. She is the leader of the human rights organisation ‘Democracy and NGO’s Development Resource Center’ in Nakhchivan. Nasibova has been a critical voice against the authorities for ten years and she steadfastly refuses to give up the fight for freedom of speech. She reports on violations by the police against ordinary citizens, kidnapping of members of the opposition, and attacks on journalists. In the absence of other independent institutions, Nasibova has become a kind of ombudsperson whom the local population turn to, to be heard. Read more

The Referendum over Constitutional amendments in the Republic of Azerbaijan took place in an atmosphere of intimidation of voters and of all those who opposed the reform of the Constitution. The Norwegian Helsinki Committee has listened to numerous witnesses recounting how they have been subjected to pressure to coerce them to go the vote during yesterdays’ poll. The hastily called referendum was never subjected to a meaningful public debate, which would have allowed for raising any relevant concerns related to the Constitutional reforms. The speedy procedure also puts into question the legality of the called referendum. Les mer

Three of the prize winners for this years press prizes ”Free Press of Russia” and ”Free Press of Eastern Europe”, was nominated by the Norwegian Helsinki Committee. The winners were announced by The Freedom of Expression Foundation of Oslo and the ZEIT Foundation of Hamburg this monday. The Russian journalist Zoya Svetova, the azerbaijani journalist Natiq Gavadli and the Azerbaijani newspaper Azaliq will receive their prizes together with the other winners at the Norwegian Nobel Institute on 3 june. The nominations of this year's press prize laureates indicate that the situation for freedom of the press and expression is deteriorating in several Eastern European countries. Attacks on the independent press are illustrated by the never-ending lawsuits filed by the authorities against journalists, editors and newspapers. The authorities use libel provisions to prevent investigative journalism, limit public debate and suppress open criticism of the authorities, high-ranking civil servants or other powerful players. Click on the link below to read more about this years prize winners. Les mer