STATEMENT :

CIVIL SOCIETY REPRESENTATIVES ON MURDERED MONITOR MAGAZINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ELMAR HUSEYNOV
2 March, 2011
 We, civil society representatives, are concerned over the failure to solve the murder of “Monitor” Magazine Editor-in-Chief Elmar Huseynov who was shot dead in front of his apartment in 2005.  Despite the facts, President Ilham Aliyev stated that the crime will be solved. Six years have elapsed since the murder, neither murderers, nor the people behind the murder have been found.   

We believe that it’s the current regime who assumes political responsibility for the failure to solve Huseynov`s murder. Specifically, neither the journalist’s relatives, nor the civil society representatives were provided with comprehensive information about the ongoing investigation. Turkish and US investigators, earlier recruited for the investigation, were later dismissed. The officials name two persons that are considered guilty in the murder: Teymuraz Alyev and Tahir Khubanov. But no practical measure has been taken. The journalists trying to investigate the murder faced pressures. As a result, Editor-in-chief of Gundelik Azerbaijan and Realniy Azerbaijan newspapers Eynulla Fatullayev who began to investigate Huseynov`s murder and visited Georgia in this aim, was threatened after his visit to Georgia. Then he was arrested under trumped up charges and he remains in prison despite decision of European Court of Human Rights.
Elmar Huseynov was a journalist who strongly criticized the current policy of ruling regime in Azerbaijan and the top ranking officials in his articles published in Monitor magazine. He was facing pressures (threats, court lawsuits) from the intolerant ruling establishment when he was alive.  This intolerance went on after his death as well.
Despite the civil society representatives’ repeated appeals in recent years for a monument in honor of Huseynov have been delayed intentionally. Relevant governmental organizations said that this issue is not related to them. They were indifferent to  this issue.
We are requiring the Azerbaijani ruling establishment to  provide detailed information on the investigation, find and punish the murderers and persons behind the crime, assist in commemorating Elmar Huseynov and immediate release of the journalist Eynulla Fatullayev

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