The blog gallup.azeriblog.com, which distributed statistical news about the “Forward with Ilham” action, has been closed, according to information that site creator Bakhtiyar Hajiyev sent this to the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety.
According to Hajiyev, on 16 July 2008 the organizers of “Forward with Ilham” action, which was created on the initiative of “Ireli” (Forward) Republic-wide Youth movement, placed information about the action on their official web-site. It was reported in the news that the number of people joining the initiative reached 10, 000 (ten thousand).
“A graphic was prepared on the indicators taken from “Ireli” web-site for the material that was placed on gallup.azeriblog.com web-site on the indicators of the regions which joined the action. According to this graphic, 100 people from 76 regions, less than 50 people in 44 of these regions, less than 10 people in 8 of these regions supported the initiation. It was shown in the graphic that the number of people joining the action in Baku, where three million people live, is the same with the number of people joining the action in Nakhchivan and Lankaran, where the number of population is ten times less than in Baku. In addition, graphic shows that about 50-100 people from most of the regions of Azerbaijan joined the “Forward with Ilham” action, which is considered to support the President Ilham Aliyev. The photos of most of the joining people taken in the same background and who work in the same area in Gandja, Lankaran, Yevlakh, Nakhchivan and other regions were placed on the website. In the end it was indicated that most of the people who joined the action in Agdash, Yevlakh and Goychay are 18 year old young people. All these were placed on gallup.azeriblog.com web-site on 18 July.
“A graphic was prepared on the indicators taken from “Ireli” web-site for the material that was placed on gallup.azeriblog.com web-site on the indicators of the regions which joined the action. According to this graphic, 100 people from 76 regions, less than 50 people in 44 of these regions, less than 10 people in 8 of these regions supported the initiation. It was shown in the graphic that the number of people joining the action in Baku, where three million people live, is the same with the number of people joining the action in Nakhchivan and Lankaran, where the number of population is ten times less than in Baku. In addition, graphic shows that about 50-100 people from most of the regions of Azerbaijan joined the “Forward with Ilham” action, which is considered to support the President Ilham Aliyev. The photos of most of the joining people taken in the same background and who work in the same area in Gandja, Lankaran, Yevlakh, Nakhchivan and other regions were placed on the website. In the end it was indicated that most of the people who joined the action in Agdash, Yevlakh and Goychay are 18 year old young people. All these were placed on gallup.azeriblog.com web-site on 18 July.
It is very strange that two days later, following this material, this message was sent to the blog’s address, ‘This blog is closed by AzeriBlog Administration Board due to its activity contrary to rules,’” says Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, noting that he doesn’t understand for which violation the blog was closed.
“I hope that supervision and censorship on internet, which is relatively free, won’t be enforced during the run-up for presidential elections,” he says.
The material of gallup.azeriblog.com web-site can now be viewed on the website http://azgallup.wordpress.com/.