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On the 10th anniversary of the death of Azeri journalist Elmar Huseynov, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović called on OSCE participating States to ensure journalists’ safety and the right to freedom of expression, the organization’s website reports.

“On the anniversary of the death of Elmar Huseynov, the issue of journalists’ safety must be raised. Attacks and harassment of journalists in the OSCE region is growing while thorough investigations are scarce, which has a chilling effect on free media,” Mijatović noted, calling on the governments of all OSCE participating States to thoroughly and fully investigate all attacks on media representatives for performing their professional duties.

“These horrific crimes must be publicly condemned and the perpetrators must be brought to justice to prevent an environment of intimidation, fear and impunity,” she added.

Elmar Huseynov, the founder and editor of the independent weekly news magazine Monitor, was shot and killed outside his apartment on 2 March 2005. The magazine had been under constant pressure from authorities for the critical nature of some of the articles published. Huseynov’s killers remain at large, the statement reads.

Dunja Mijatović also published an article on The Huffington Post regarding the situation in Azerbaijan. She begins her article remembering a talk she had with the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev 4 years ago. Soon after her visit journalists and bloggers were released from jail, there were moves to liberalize laws, there was hope. But today that hope has ended.

“Journalists and free-expression advocates sit in Azerbaijani jails in record numbers. Their lot is growing. Azerbaijan scores near the bottom of every objective ranking of nations based on free media and free expression criteria,” Mijatović writes, pointing out to the fact that it came as no surprise when Swiss authorities confirmed that human rights defender Emin Huseynov was hiding out in its Embassy in Baku.

There are more than 10 members of the media, including journalists, bloggers and social media activists, in prison today -- one of the largest numbers of any country that is part of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the publication reads, noting that as the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović has spoken out on numerous occasions.

In her article she mentions the names of arrested journalists and human rights defenders, including Khadija Ismayilova, a journalist; Rasul Jafarov, a free speech advocate; Seymur Hazi, a columnist for the newspaper Azadliq; Omar Mamedov and Abdul Abilov, bloggers; Parviz Hashimly, a journalist; Nijat Aliyev, editor-in-chief of azadxeber.org news website, and Rashad Ramazanov, an independent blogger.

“The systematic shutdown of dissenting voices and their outlets are clear violations of commitments on free media and free expression that Azerbaijan has signed on to as a participating State of the OSCE. But most of the world appears disinterested as Azerbaijan clamps down even harder on the country's nascent media and civil society,” Mijatović writes, asking whether it is simply a matter of business interests trumping human rights.

Mijatović hopes that a high-profile diplomatic row with the Swiss might shake some countries from their somnolent state. Emin Huysenov, Khadija Ismayilova and all other members of the media are now the face of free media, free expression and civil society in Azerbaijan. They have done nothing wrong -- they are just doing a job. For this many of them stand trial or have already been convicted, Mijatović notes and stresses that it is in the hands of President Aliyev to change course and fulfill the dream of a modern, free and open Azerbaijan. “Few, including me, a friend of Azerbaijan, are willing to assume he will. But he must, as the first step, let all journalists go. He must set them free. For the future of democracy in Azerbaijan,” she concludes.