Azerbaijan: Physical attack against Ms. Gunay Ismailova

29/01/2015
Urgent Appeal

The Observatory has been informed by reliable sources about the physical attack against Ms. Gunay Ismailova, human rights lawyer and Deputy Chair of the Institute for Reporter’s Freedom and Safety (IRFS).

AZE 003 / 0115 / OBS 008
Attack / Harassment
Azerbaijan
January 29, 2015

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Azerbaijan.

Description of the situation:

On January 26, 2014, at approximatively 8:30 am, Ms. Gunay Ismayilova was attacked in the stairwell of her apartment building in Baku. As she walked into the entrance of the building, an unidentified man, of medium height and aged around 28-30, grabbed her by the throat and tried to harm her with an object.

Ms. Ismailova started screaming and kicking on the door of an apartment on the ground floor, and the man escaped when the neighbours came out. The assailant did not attempt to steal her bag.

Following the attack, Ms. Ismailova called the emergency line (#102) of the Interior Ministry. Subsequently, four police officers came to her home, and asked her to come to the police station the day after. She was eventually able to file a complaint with the police.

The Observatory expresses its deepest concern about the physical attack sustained by Ms. Gunay Ismailova, which seems to merely aim at sanctioning her human rights activities amidst a wave of ever increasing repression against civil society organisations and representatives in Azerbaijan. The Observatory calls upon all the relevant authorities to carry out an immediate, impartial and transparent investigation into this event, in order to identify all those responsible and sanction them according to law.

Action requested:

Please write to the authorities in Azerbaijan, urging them to:

i. Guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Ms. Gunay Ismayilova and all human rights defenders in Azerbaijan;

ii. Carry out an immediate, impartial and transparent investigation into the above-mentioned attack, in order to identify all those responsible and sanction them according to law;

iii. Conform with the provisions of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9, 1998, especially:

 Article 1, which states that “everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels”;
 Article 5, which underscores the right of every individual to form, join, and participate in non-governmental organizations; and
 Article 12.2, which provides that the State shall “take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of his or her rights”;

iv. Ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards and international instruments ratified by Azerbaijan.

Addresses:

· Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Office of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, 19 Istiqlaliyyat St., Baku AZ1066, Azerbaijan, Fax: (+994) 12 492 06 25, (+994) 412 92 28 68, E-mail: office@pa.gov.az, office@apparat.gov.az
· Mr. Zakir Garalov, Prosecutor General of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Prosecutor’s Office, 7 Nigar Rafibeyli St., Baku, Azerbaijan, Fax: (+994) 12 492 06 82, (+994) 12 492 26 63, E-mail: z.qaralov@prosecutor.gov.az, info@prosecutor.gov.az
· Mr. Eldar Mahmudov, Minister of National Security, Ministry of National Security of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Parliament Avenue 14, Baku AZ1006, Azerbaijan, Fax: (+994) 12 493-76-22, E-mail: cpr@mns.gov.az
· Mr. Ramil Usubov, Minister of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Azerbaijani Republic, Fax: (+994) 12 492 45 90
· Mr. Elmar Mammadyarov, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, E-mail: katiblik@mfa.gov.az
· Mr. Fikrat F. Mammadov, Minister of Justice in Azerbaijan, Inshaatchilar Prospekti, 1 Baku, Azerbaijan, e-mail: contact@justice.gov.az; Fax (+994) 12 430 09 81
· H.E. Mr. Murad N. Najafbayli, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan to the United Nations in Geneva, Route des Fayards 237, CH-1290 Versoix, Switzerland, Fax: (+41) 22 901 18 44, E-mail: geneva@mission.mfa.gov.az
· Embassy of Azerbaijan in Brussels, Avenue Moliere 464, 1050 Brussels, Belgium, Fax: (+32) 2 345 91 85

Please also write to the diplomatic missions or embassies of Azerbaijan in your respective country as well as to the EU diplomatic missions or embassies in Azerbaijan.

***

Paris-Geneva, January 29, 2015

Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.

The Observatory, an OMCT and FIDH venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.

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