AAAS Scientific Responsibility, Human Rights and Law Program

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AAAS Human Rights Action Network

FACTS OF THE CASE:

On 27 October 2005, physicist and former president of the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences Professor Eldar Salayev, 72, was detained and put into the isolation ward of the Ministry of National Security. Dr Salayev is one of few Azeri scientists who has openly criticized the policy of the ruling party. The government accuses him of taking money from exiled opposition candidate Rasul Guliyev to plot mass unrest and coup d'etat by force. Salayev was released from prison late Wednesday, 16 November due to health concerns, but remains under "police control." Salayev's son reports that, charges against his father have not been dropped, despite his release.

Human rights organizations in the area claim that there was no plot, but that the arrest was an intimidation tactic employed against opposition leaders immediately before the 6 November presidential elections. Dr. Salayev is a proponent of human rights and has signed many petitions demanding the release of political prisoners, spoken out against political persecutions and demanded justice in the cases of government officials involved in corruption, torture and vote rigging.

The Azeri Institute for Peace and Democracy stated, "The charges brought against Dr. Salayev of taking part in organizing mass disturbances and forcible seizure of power don't hold any water and demonstrate that Azerbaijan's law enforcement agencies have fabricated the whole case of 'the attempted coup d'etat'. Dr. Salayev...has neither financial nor administrative resources to enable him to take part in or organize any kind of coup d'etat. The arrest of the prominent figures in scientific and public life is an act of intimidation against all the members of intelligentsia; [it is nothing but a] demonstration of the President's political will, which is to arrest anyone regardless of their services to the country, their status or age."

In the run-up to elections held last week in Azerbaijan, there have been numerous arrests of opposition leaders, including members of the Azerbaijan Democratic Party (of which Salayev's son, Elman, is the leader) and those working in the election headquarters of exiled presidential candidate Mr. Rasul Guliyev. Although President Ilham Aliyev was reelected, international observers declared the vote to have been illegitimate, pointing to pre-election intimidation tactics, in addition to election-day vote-stuffing, vote-buying, inaccurate voting lists, and voter intimidation as evidence of unfair election.

(Sources of information for this case include: Norwegian Helsinki Committee - Human Rights House Foundation, Science, ANS Press, Prima-News, Today.az.)

RELEVANT HUMAN RIGHTS STANDARDS

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

• Article 19(1): Everyone shall have the right to hold opinions without interference.
• Article 21: The right of peaceful assembly shall be recognized.
• Article 22: Everyone shall have the right to freedom of association with others.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

• Article 09: No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.
• Article 19: Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
• Article 20(1): Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Please send faxes, letters, or emails:

• Requesting that charges against Eldar Salayev be immediately dropped as it appears that he is being persecuted for the peaceful exercise of his right to freedom of expression; and
• Reminding Azerbaijani authorities of their commitment to respect for fundamental human rights and democratic elections.

APPEAL AND INQUIRY MESSAGES SHOULD BE SENT TO:

Ilham Aliyev
President of Azerbaijan
Office of the President of Azerbaijan
Istiglaliyyat St.
Baku 1066 Azerbaijan
office@apparat.gov.az
Salutation: His Excellency

COPIES SENT TO:

Hafiz Mir Jalal Pashayev
Ambassador to the U.S.
Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan
2741 34th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20008

Fax: 202-337-5911

Please send copies of your appeals, and any responses you may receive, or direct any questions you may have to Sarah Olmstead, AAAS Science and Human Rights Program, 1200 New York Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20005; tel. 202-326-6787; email shrp@aaas.org; or fax 202-289-4950.

The keys to effective appeals are to be courteous and respectful, accurate and precise, impartial in approach, and as specific as possible regarding the alleged violation and the international human rights standards and instruments that apply to the situation. Reference to your scientific organization and professional affiliation is always helpful.

To ensure that appeals are current and credible, please do not continue to write appeals on this case after 90 days from the date of the posting unless an update has been issued.

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