OSCE media freedom representative shocked by murder of journalist in Azerbaijan

VIENNA, 3 March 2005 - The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Miklos Haraszti, said today he was appalled by the murder of journalist Elmar Huseynov and has asked the Azerbaijani authorities for a swift investigation into the case.

"I am shocked by the murder of Huseynov whom I knew personally," said Mr. Haraszti. "I met him last October at our First South Caucasus Media Conference where he contributed to a discussion on access to information with valuable ideas on legal solutions."

"The murder of this outspoken independent journalist is a serious loss for the Azerbaijani media. My thoughts are with his family and colleagues," he added.

Elmar Huseynov, the founder and editor of the independent weekly news magazine Monitor, was shot and killed outside his apartment on 2 March.

The magazine had been under constant pressure from authorities for the critical nature of some of the articles. It has had difficulties with printing and distribution and also has been faced with several defamation law suits.

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media will be closely following the investigation and will be in contact with the Azerbaijani authorities on this matter.

"The OSCE community expects the investigation to find out whether the murder is linked in any way with Mr. Huseynov's work, as his colleagues suspect, or with other recently reported cases of harassment of journalists in Azerbaijan," said Miklos Haraszti.