Amnesty International has released its 2007 Annual Report.
In the section about Azerbaijan, the organization writes, “Freedom of expression and assembly continued to be widely restricted. Independent and opposition journalists faced imprisonment on libel charges, harassment by law enforcement officials and, in some cases, physical assault. Two widely read opposition newspapers were shut down; five journalists were pardoned and released at the end of the year.”
The organization then goes on to talk about the press freedom situation in further detail. Issues related to police – excessive use of force, torture and other ill-treatment, human rights defenders, deportation and extradition, and internally displaced people are also addressed in the report.
The report can be viewed in its entirety here.