The Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS) is calling for a national solidarity campaign in support of the journalists put behind bars for their work. In run up to the International Day of Solidarity of Journalists marked on September 8, IRFS calls for donations to provide financial assistance to journalists behind bars and their families.
“The families of detained and imprisoned journalists deal not only with the emotional trauma but with finding themselves destitute having lost a breadwinner. A little support can have a large impact on the journalists and their families’, said IRFS CEO and Chair Emin Huseynov at the launch of the campaign on August 7 at the Azerbaijan Media and Human Rights Center.
IRFS is constantly in touch with the families of journalists providing them with financial and legal assistance, but we need a larger, national effort if we want to bring impact on those shattered lives’, Huseynov said.
The campaign has been launched with two objectives—to promote solidarity in support of journalists behind bars and draw more attention to the fact that Azerbaijan is the top of jailer of journalists in the South Caucasus. There are currently 8 journalists in detention or jail in Azerbaijan. They are Khural newspaper editor-in-chief Avaz Zeynalli, freelance journalists Faramaz Allahverdiyev (Novruzoglu) and Fuad Huseynov, Tolishy Sado newspaper editor Hilal Mammadov, Yeni Musavat newspaper columnist Tofig Yagublu, azadxeber.org editor Nijat Aliyev, xeber44.comeditor Araz Guliyev and P.S. Nota newspaper editor Serdar Alibayli.
Contributions can be made both individually and collectively.
Donations can be made in cash in the IRFS Office or transferred/wired to the appointed bank accunt.
For the purposes of transparency, all the information about the donated funds will made public at the end of the campaign. Anonymity of the contributors can be preserved upon their request.