Why don’t they invite independent journalists to the liberated areas?

On the eve of the National Press Day, the Global Media Forum was held in Shusha. The forum is dedicated to the work of journalists in the conditions of increasing disinformation. Participants of the forum – about 200 journalists from Azerbaijan and other countries visited Shusha, participated in the sessions and listened to the speech of President Ilham Aliyev.

Many issues were discussed, but none of the participants proposed the release of imprisoned journalists Sevinj Vagifgizi, Nargiz Absalomova, Elnara Gasimova, Ulvi Hasanli, Hafiz Babali, Mushvig Jabbar, Ali Zeynal and others, and the Forum did not accept such a request to the authorities. The Global Forum has remained silent on months of imprisonment of innocent people. Perhaps the reason for this is that none of the participants were independent journalists representing media committed to reporting the truth and only the truth.

Why don’t the organizers of the various forums in the liberated areas invite the independent media? Journalist Chingiz Sultansoy is one of those who had to urgently move to another country to avoid being tried on absurd charges.

In response to Turan’s question about the lack of real journalists in the forums in the liberated territories, he agreed that the privilege of visiting Shusha, which was liberated from the 28-year Armenian occupation – a place desired not only by journalists, but by almost all Azerbaijani citizens – is given to loyal journalists, not independent ones.

“It is known that you cannot go to Shusha just like that – they will not leave police and military posts on the roads, and you need a special permit to cross. Permission is also given to loyal mass media and their journalists,” he believes.

“This is the government’s position and policy – not to invite journalists who at least somehow maintain their independence, to ignore their rights and even their existence. Such a policy is fully consistent with the long-term strategy of the country’s leadership to slowly but surely destroy the freedom of speech and press in the country, and to apply all kinds of repressions against the free and independent press. Repressions have not stopped for 30 years.

Periods of weakening were constantly replaced by periods of hardening and repeated. The last wave of repressions took place last fall. The founder of “Abzas Media” website, Ulvi Hasanli, editor-in-chief Sevinj Vagifqizi, and a group of employees of the website were arrested. Later, well-known lawyer Alasgar Ahmadoglu, co-founder of “Toplum” TV YouTube channel, several employees of the channel, as well as dear Orujov, the host of the popular “Kanal 13”, were arrested.

Today, July 22, is National Press Day. Unfortunately, it is divided into pro-government and independent. Former deputy Gultekin Hajiyeva named July 22 as the Day of Remembrance of the National Press.

“It is necessary to remember the murders of well-known journalists Elmar Huseynov and Rafig Tagi on that day. The killers have not been found, the buyers are unknown. It is clear that such unsolved murders are the best form of censorship for the independent Azerbaijani press, which is cornered and struggling for survival,” Chingiz Sultansoy said.

Erestun Orujlu, the head of the “East-West” Analytical Center, while answering the question about the government’s neglect of the truth-telling journalists, said that looking at the list of participants of the forum in Shusha, it is clear that they have brought together those who support the Azerbaijani government with their words. Guests from Baku, Tbilisi, Russia and other places promote the government. The independent press does not deal with this. They don’t invite independent mass media, because they are not propagandists and cover the events without praising the authorities,” he said.

“Azerbaijan’s leadership pursues the policy of dividing society, politics and mass media: it divides political parties, civil society and the press into “own” and “others”. Therefore, only media loyal to the government can participate in such forums. There they do not perform their professional duties, they listen to the instructions of the management. There is no independent mass media there, and this is not surprising,” Erastun Oruclu added.

“Why should the government invite independent journalists if there are none in Azerbaijan?” There is no mass media as an institution of public control of the government in the country, and only the free press can control the government,” political immigrant, journalist Rauf Mirgadirov answered Turan’s question.

Journalist of PS Turan, imprisoned Hafiz Babali, conveyed his request from the pretrial detention center: please, on the National Press Day, put some carnations and roses on the grave of Hasanbay Zardabi as a symbol of censorship and repression on behalf of imprisoned journalists.