OSCE Office: free and responsible media operating without threats are essential for Azerbaijan's democratic transition

BAKU, 21 July 2006 - The OSCE Office in Baku marked celebrations of Azerbaijan's National Press Day today by emphasizing the unique role that a free media plays in fostering economic, democratic and social progress.

"Today we celebrate good journalism and the responsible exercise of press freedom," said Robin Seaword, the Deputy Head of the OSCE Office in Baku, in an address to representatives of Azerbaijani media. "We congratulate all those whose professional and often courageous work serves as a vital watchdog to promote transparency, accountability and good governance."

While acknowledging positive changes such as a Presidential Decree erasing newspapers' debts and the adoption of a progressive law on the right to obtain information, Seaword noted that some serious and pressing issues remained to be addressed.

"The unsolved murder of Elmar Huseynov, Editor-in-chief of the independent magazine Monitor, as well as the continuing use of defamation suits to silence the media and an increasing number of violent attacks against journalists, all raise concerns about the future development of the media in Azerbaijan," Seaword said in the speech, delivered at a Press Day celebration in Baku.

"On this special day, we call on the Government of Azerbaijan to renew its efforts and commitment to guarantee the safety of journalists and ensure that crimes against journalists do not go unpunished."

The National Day Press celebrations are held to commemorate the first national publication, the Akinchi (The Plowman) newspaper, which was first published in 1875 under the editorship of Hasan Bey Zardabi, a famous Azerbaijani public figure.