Azerbaijani journalist critical of Turkish government deported, then arrested
3 replies, posted
[quote=The Guardian]An Azerbaijani journalist who was [URL="http://www.todayszaman.com/news-345652-report-turkey-deports-another-azerbaijani-journalist.html"]deported from Turkey on Saturday (19 April)[/URL] was arrested on his arrival at the airport in Baku, the [URL="http://www.theguardian.com/world/azerbaijan"]Azerbaijan[/URL] capital. Two days later, Rauf Mirgadirov appeared before a court and was remanded in custody for three months pending trial on [B]espionage charges[/B]. If convicted, he [B]faces a sentence of 10 years to life[/B] in jail.
He has been visited in the remand prison by two [URL="http://www.theguardian.com/law/human-rights"]human rights[/URL] activists [URL="http://en.apa.az/xeber_human_rights_activist_meets_with_rauf_mi_210211.html"]who said he was being treated with respect and has been provided with a lawyer.[/URL]
[URL="http://www.hrw.org/news/2014/04/24/turkeyazerbaijan-journalist-deported-imprisoned"]
According to Human Rights Watch[/URL] (HRW), [URL="http://www.theguardian.com/world/turkey"]Turkey[/URL]'s deportation of Mirgadirov and his immediate arrest "[B]bears the hallmarks of a coordinated operation that violates international law.[/B]"
Mirgadirov had lived in Turkey with his family since August 2010, working as the Ankara-based correspondent for two independent Azerbaijani newspapers, Ayna and Zerkalo. He [B]fled Azerbaijan[/B] because of [B]threats as a consequence of his critical political reporting[/B].
His Turkish lawyer said Mirgadirov was suddenly[B] told by the Turkish authorities in early April that his accreditation, which had been valid until the end of 2014, had been cancelled. He was given two weeks to leave the country.
[/B]
HRW noted that[B] his accreditation was cancelled shortly after Turkey's prime minister[/B], [URL="http://www.theguardian.com/world/recep-tayyip-erdogan"]Recep Tayyip Erdogan[/URL],[B] had been to Baku to meet the Azerbaijani president[/B], Ilham Aliyev.
To comply with the Turkish order to leave, [B]Mirgadirov, with his wife and family, boarded a bus for the neighbouring state of Georgia. They were detained on the bus [/B][and separated], suggesting that they had been under surveillance, [B]and put on a plane to Baku[/B].
Mirgadirov's lawyer told HRW that the espionage charges against Mirgadirov stem from his trips to Armenia, Georgia, and Turkey in 2008 and 2009.
[B]
"The context and timing of Mirgadirov's arrest suggest that the case against him is politically motivated and intended to punish him for his outspoken views and to send a chilling message to others that dissent will not be tolerated,"[/B] said an HRW spokeswoman.[/quote]
[quote=Human Rights Watch][B]Mirgadirov[/B] [B]reported[/B] on political developments and [B]key human rights issues in Azerbaijan and Turkey[/B] and [B]often criticized the deteriorating political and human rights situations in both countries[/B]. In separate recent commentaries he [B]deplored Azerbaijan’s detention and trial of [/B][B][URL="http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/04/02/azerbaijan-authorities-targeting-youth-activists"]eight youth activists[/URL] and the Turkish government’s move to [URL="http://www.hrw.org/news/2014/03/27/turkey-youtube-block-violates-free-expression"]ban YouTube[/URL]...
[/B][B]Mirgadirov was not permitted to contact his lawyer[/B], nor was another lawyer appointed for him, despite his [B]repeated requests for access to his lawyer[/B]. Turkish[B] authorities failed to explain the grounds for his deportation[/B] or to provide an opportunity to challenge the decision. Azerbaijani Ministry of National Security [B]officials detained Mirgadirov upon his arrival to Baku[/B], and he remains in custody.[B]
[/B]
[B]Under the European Convention on Human Rights [/B](ECHR), to which both [B]Azerbaijan and Turkey are parties[/B], a noncitizen who is a lawful resident of a country should not be expelled except “in pursuance of a decision reached in accordance with law” and is entitled to minimal procedural safeguards against expulsion (article 1, protocol 7). [B]These include the right to submit reasons against his expulsion[/B], to have his case reviewed, and [B]to have legal representation for these purposes[/B].
A key function of such safeguards includes preventing expulsions that would result in violations of other human rights guarantees such as the prohibition of torture and ill-treatment, arbitrary detention or a flagrant denial of a fair trial. Likewise, the requirement to ensure an effective remedy (article 13) imposes an obligation to ensure that a person facing expulsion can challenge the expulsion before it is carried out on the grounds that the expulsion would expose the person to a real risk of prohibited treatment, contrary to the European Convention.
In Mirgadirov’s case [B]none of the essential due process guarantees were met[/B], with the result that his deportation violated Turkey’s obligations. His deportation has [B]placed a number of his other rights at risk.[/B]
For example, [B]Azerbaijan has a record of torture and ill-treatment of detainees accused of activities perceived to be anti-government[/B], often to extract incriminating testimony. By arbitrarily detaining and returning Mirgadirov to Azerbaijan, [B]Turkey had an obligation to assess the risk[/B] that his return to Azerbaijan would violate the absolute obligation not to return anyone to a country [B]where the person would face a serious risk of torture or ill-treatment[/B], Human Rights Watch said.[/quote]
[B][I]Sources:[/I][/B] [URL="http://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2014/apr/24/press-freedom-turkey"]The Guardian[/URL], [URL="http://www.hrw.org/news/2014/04/24/turkeyazerbaijan-journalist-deported-imprisoned"]Human Rights Watch[/URL]
its a scary thought that a country can throw you to the wolves like that
gives you a sense that you aren't safe anywhere when your in those parts of the world...
[QUOTE=SonicHitman;44792829]its a scary thought that a country can throw you to the wolves like that
gives you a sense that you aren't safe anywhere when your in those parts of the world...[/QUOTE]
Look at how we treat people who leak information. Granted, it's a bit different since we have freedom of the press but still, we aren't much different and if you suddenly found yourself on the wrong side of the American government you wouldn't be feeling too safe. I mean, we hunted down Bin Laden after 10 years and shot him in the head in Pakistan, you aren't safe anywhere from our government... except when you flee to Russia and beg asylum for your NSA secrets.
[QUOTE=SonicHitman;44792829]its a scary thought that a country can throw you to the wolves like that
gives you a sense that you aren't safe anywhere when your in those parts of the world...[/QUOTE]
And I'm posting this from Turkey... :tinfoil:
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