Leaked documents have revealed British government plans that could seriously affect web users. Peter Bradwell reports
‘Voluntary’ website blocking scheme threatens free expression
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CATEGORY: Europe and Central Asia
Foreign activists attacked in Azerbaijan
American journalist Amanda Erickson and British activist Celia Davies Carys were followed home and beaten by four men on 15 June in Baku. The women are in Baku to train local journalists. Carys sustained a broken arm in the attack.
Azerbaijan: President admits censoring festival art
Government officials in Azerbaijan have admitted that the President Ilham Aliyev had a hand in censoring the country’s entries to the Venice Biennale festival. The artwork of Aidan Salakhova included a replica of the Black Stone, a sacred Muslim...
Azerbaijan: At Long Last, Freedom for Eynulla
After four years of wrongful imprisonment, the Azerbaijani government has pardoned journalist Eynulla Fatullayev. Rebecca Vincent reports
Azerbaijan: Eynulla Fatullayev pardoned
Azerbaijan journalist Eynulla Fatullayev has been pardoned by the country’s president Ilham Aliyev, according to a report on the News.az website.
Fatullayev’s name featured on a list of prisoners to be released on the morning of Friday 27 May.
Fatullayev, who worked as a reporter on Elmar Huseynov’s magazine Monitor and later founded and edited Realny Azerbaijan and Gundelik Azerbaycan, served almost four years in prison.
Index on Censorship, English PEN, Article 19 and Amnesty led an international campaign for the 34-year-old editor’s release.
Natasha Schmidt, Assistant Editor of Index on Censorship said:
“We’re absolutely delighted that Eynulla will be freed. This comes more than a year after the European Court of Human Rights ruled that he should be released. Only last month Index lobbied European leaders to ensure that this judgement was enforced and that freedom of expression is upheld. It is of concern however that bloggers and Facebook activists are still in prison.”
Azerbaijani Facebook activist jailed for two years
An Azerbaijani court sentenced opposition activist Bakhtiyar Hajiyev to two years' imprisonment yesterday, 18 May. Hajiyev used Facebook to generate support for the 11 March "Great People's Day" anti-government protests, but was sentenced on a...
Azerbaijan’s Facebook dissident
Elnur Majidli, a Strasbourg-based blogger and internet activist has been threatened with a 12 year jail sentence for “inciting hatred”. Index on Censorship’s Mike Harris met Elnur at the Council of Europe as part of Index on Censorship and the International Partnership Group for Azerbaijan’s lobbying efforts
Azerbaijan: Swedish TV crew arrested then deported
Azerbaijani officials detained three Swedish TV journalists while they were preparing to cover an opposition demonstration in Baku on 17 April. The journalists were subsequently deported on 18 April. An official at the Interior Ministry commented...
Who decides what you see online?
The government has convened an industry working group to examine how to block websites. Peter Bradwell considers the possible options
More than 200 protesters beaten and detained in Azerbaijan
Azerbaijani police arrested more than 200 opposition protesters during Saturday's demonstrations in Baku. They were calling for the resignation of President Ilham Aliyev and had broken through police cordons into Fountains Square. According to the...