Firstly, on March 31, 2008, Arzu Abdullayeva, the chair of the Committee on Protection of the Freedom of Speech joined the action. It must be noted that Arzu Abdullayeva is the co-chair of the International Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly and the chair of the National Committee of the Organization. In 1993 she was awarded with "Olaf Palme" International Peace Prize. Besides, in 1998 she was the laureate of the award of the US Government and European Union for "For Efforts in Building Democracy". Novella Jafaroghlu, the chair of the Women Rights’ Protection Society named after Dilara Jafaroghlu was also awarded with the same prize.

The Committee has also sent the information to civil society and asked public figures to join the action and efforts for the release of the imprisoned journalists who are recognized as prisoners of conscience by international organizations. In the Appeal it is stated that the pressure by the authorities against the freedom of speech has reached the extent of murdering, inflicting wounds with knife, beating, slandering, and imprisoning journalists with injustice sentences. Such situation causes enhancement of the authorities’ conviction of impunity and disgrades the reputation of the state internationally.

You can find detailed information about the hunger strike in the below web pages:

Azerbaijani human rights activist Arzu Abdullayeva goes on hunger strike

Council of Europe Concerned about Hunger Strike by Journalists in Azerbaijan

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The Appeal Of The Committee on Protection of Freedom of Speech

Dear Compatriots!

The protest of the society against the criminal measures taken by the government to suppress journalists continues. For some people, these starvation actions and pickets, articles and conferences may seem weak and nonsense comparing with vast and brutal violence machine of the state pointed towards its own nation. Nevertheless, let’s not forget that “the seamy side of torment is patience”, if the society will not protest injustice it can last forever. Resistance by small number of spies has staggered and collapsed great empires.

The Committee on Protection of Freedom of Speech addresses to the President, the minister of Internal Affairs, the Major Prosecutor, the chair of the Supreme Court, and their members with following questions:

Why by now the murderer of Elmar Huseynov has not been found and imprisoned? Are not you capable to fulfill your positional commitments or do you patronize the murderer?

Why the criminals who kidnapped, beat, and mutilated Bahaddin Haziyev have not been found? You cannot do it or you do not want to do it?

Why persons who beat and stabbed Fikrat Huseynli and Agil Khalil have not been imprisoned? You cannot do it or you do not want to do it?

What articles of the journalists imprisoned with false accusation do you fear? What truth do you want to hide from people?

The members of the Committee on the Protection of Freedom of Speech express a great gratitude that all leading international and European organizations declared their opinion regarding the situation around the freedom of speech in Azerbaijan. However, have questions to the European and international organizations and wait for explanatory respond from them

Democracy is recognized as a substantial part of human rights. How to explain the meaning of polite and close cooperation of International and European organizations with those state figures who habitually suppress democracy, step upon human rights and freedoms, and are drawn in corruption bog, to those people who consider you as adherents of democracy?

To what extend does the tolerance towards the detention of persons recognized by the international organizations as prisoners of conscience by the authorities of Azerbaijan - the member state of the Council of Europe, correspond with allegiance to democracy?

Dear ladies and gentlemen,

We understand your anticipated responds. You will say that “We do not have any means and competence to inflict pressure upon the Azerbaijan Government.” We ask you to do what is in your competence. We ask all international organizations that Azerbaijan has membership and unfilled undertaken commitments to hold a summit devoted to the antidemocratic policy pursued by the Azerbaijan Authorities. Besides, we ask you to warn the Azerbaijani authorities to release unconditionally the prisoners that are recognized by international organizations as prisoners of conscience and possible prisoners of conscience.

“One hand does not make sound alone”; may be some mechanisms or measures can be figured out together with joint efforts for changing the situation which was not able to be done by different organizations in separate. The democratic public of Azerbaijan that is suppressed, slandered, and prosecuted every single day is ready to be your ally in your action – protecting democracy in a concrete state from a concrete dictator.