Date: Thu, 27 Jun 2002 01:55:53 -0700 (PDT)
From: Adil 
To: panfilov@monitoring.ru
Subject: Issue no. 22, June 10 - 16, 2002 of the Weekly report of events in the mass media of CIS states

TO: A HIGH-RISK JOB
Weekly report of events in the mass media of CIS states
Issue no. 22, June 10 - 16, 2002
Centre for Journalism in Extreme Situations
4 Zubovsky Boulevard,
Moscow 119021, Russia
phone: (+ 7 095) 201-7626; 201-3550 comm. 124
fax: (+ 7 095) 201-7626
e-mail: panfilov@monitoring.ru
Web site: www.cjes.ru


Dear Mr. Panfilov,

I read with interest CJES regular reports on mass media in the CIS.
However, the recent statement about Azerbaijan restricting access to
information seems unfair. The first incident due to Iranian objections of
media presence, can hardly be blamed on Azerbaijan. When the statistics is
presented and read by people, no one will remember or know the real cause
(or source) of restriction to the access of information. What was the
Azerbaijani side supposed to do, earn themselves a diplomatic scandal on
the top of already tense relations with Iran?

Meanwhile, the second part of the report is totally unfair. What Minister
of Communications of Azerbaijan Republic alludes to, are the unlawful,
unlicensed Armenian broadcasts into the sovereign territory of Azerbaijan,
occupied by the Armenian army, and beyond. Such broadcasts are used to
fortify the present-day military occupation, air propaganda of the
terrorist forces there. We can ignore the 20% occupation of Azerbaijan by
Armenia, almost 1 million refugees, 30,000 dead, massacre of Khojaly in
1992, etc., something easily done by many all around the world, and seems
like your organization is no exception. Yet we can not ignore the basic
law, prevalent everywhere, which requires registration of radio and TV
broadcasting stations for legal transmission of signals -- which is often
done to prevent overlap with existing frequencies, legal ones. Such is the
case in Azerbaijan, where Armenian and Iranian illegal broadcasts
interfere with legitimate Azerbaijani ones. If you try to pull such as
trick in the United States, you will be shutdown and punished by the FCC,
same is true of Russia, or any other country. Then why is Azerbaijan being
unfairly accused, for protecting it rights and upholding its law in face
of the continuing occupation of 20% of its territory by the Armenian
military in violation of all UN Security Council resolutions?

Sincerely,

Adil Baguirov



VI. Restricting Access to Information
Azerbaijan
        Journalists invited to cover a meeting with an Iranian
parliamentary delegation were led out of the parliament building following
the objections, raised by the Iranians, to the presence of the media.
        Communication Minister Nadir Akhmedov said that Armenian
broadcasts to Azerbaijan are being jammed but a month is needed to make
the jamming total.