Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Shortly afterwards, the war over Nagorno-Karabakh broke out. This area, predominantly inhabited by Armenians, has declared independence but is, as of yet, not officially recognized by other countries. In 2009, the country’s economy improved and the rising price of oil, an important export product, accelerated this process. Poverty levels in the country have decreased. However, the country’s economic progress is in stark contrast to its political developments. Despite the partnership with the EU, human rights violations continue under the regime of president Ilham Aliyev.

The state of press freedom is a cause for concern. Since 2011, Azerbaijan has been listed in the lower section of the Press Freedom Index and is performing worse compared to previous years. This is partly the result of media bills passed by the government in 2010, which make it harder for journalists to gain access to information. Journalists accuse the government of not providing free access to information; the government accuses journalists of a lack of ethics and professionalism. However, international news is freely accessible. Ambitious, high-quality journalism is gaining ground, but fair and objective news reporting remains difficult. Most media have their own political agenda. Investigative journalism is a rarity because of the time constraints and the dangers involved. In 2010, a total of 106 crimes against journalists were reported. Such conditions will obviously lead to self-censorship.

A ray of hope for the future is the Baku School of Journalism, which Free Press Unlimited has supported since 2005. Despite opposition from the government, who refuses to register the school, every year a number of highly motivated students graduate from the institute. And they really do enter the journalist profession, contrary to students from other journalism schools, and form an active network of alumni capable of influencing the political climate in Azerbaijan. From 2011 onwards, Free Press Unlimited will concentrate on the development of online media in the country.