GJC: We Call on International Organizations and Community to support Azerbaijani Diaspora Journalists
Global Journalism Council (GJC) has issued a message of support to the Azerbaijani diaspora journalists, calling for awareness to the whole world for the Azerbaijani journalists who lost their lives in the mine explosion in Azerbaijan.
“Media representatives have an important roles such as working in the war and post war zones, disseminating impartial and objective information and acting as a bridge between the conflict zone and other parties.
With great regret, we bring to your attention that on June 4, in the Susuzlug village of Kelbajar region, Siraj Abishov, a cameraman of Azerbaijan State Television and Maharram Ibrahimov, employee of the Azerbaijan State News Agency were blown up by a mine while performing their job duties in the liberated territories.
A vehicle carrying members of the film crew hit an anti-tank mine. As a result of an incident, three people were killed and four more were seriously injured.
Following the end of the war, more than 140 civilians were affected from mines planted by the Armenian occupiers in the liberated regions, 27 of them were killed.
The tragedy shows that Armenia is still pursuing an insidious policy in the region, implementing various methods of mining in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan. Thus, there are serious threats to the lives of civilians and media representatives in the region, and we journalists are deeply concerned about this situation.
Unfortunately, in many cases, international non-governmental organizations, acting as defenders of the rights of journalists give no reaction to crimes and continue to remain silent. The indifference of international human rights organizations and journalists’ associations to the violations of human rights and the rule of law that impede the activities of civilians including the media, can lead to an increase of such crimes across the world.
As journalists living abroad, we appeal to international organizations, including the UN and the Council of Europe, as well as the human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, with a request to provide maps of minefields of the Azerbaijani territories occupied by the armed forces of Armenia and liberated as a result of a 44-day war. By not presenting maps of minefields, and secretly carrying out the process of planting landmines even today, Armenia grossly violates humanitarian norms and principles.
We reiterate that because of the criminal actions of Armenia, civilians and media representatives lost their lives. We demand Armenia to reveal the maps of the mines planted in the territories of Azerbaijan, kept under occupation for 30 years, and stop the process of planting land mines within internationally recognized state borders of Azerbaijan even today. We one more time demand that the international community and Journalists’ Associations be attentive to what is happening.”
Mehmet Ali Dim President of GJC
Ismail Bayazıt Deputy President of GJC
Bulent Aydemir Vice President of GJC
Kahraman Halisçelik Vice President of GJC
Savaş Çokduygulu Vice President of GJC
Lutfu Karakaş General Secretary of GJC
Adnan Yuce. Financial President of GJC
Aynur Tattersall DHA
Gursel Eser AA
- Duran Ozkan Söz Gazetesi
Sertaç Virancık Hürriyet
Yıldız Yakar 360 TV
Yusuf Ziya Çakır AA
Benan Kepsutlu Ajanda TV
Fatih Sabuncu TRT
Yakup Aslan Ulusal Kanal
Hayati Arıgan Sözcü
Merih Ak NTV
Mehmet Çatakçı İnce Medya
Alpaslan Düven A Haber
İrfan Sapmaz TGRT
Bulent Çoltekin TV100
Neşe Berber Bengütürk TV
Neşat Gündoğdu Milat Gazetesi
Banu Şen Posta Gazetesi
- Veysi İpek Habertürk
Seda Demir Beyaz TV
Mehmet Avşar AA
Hüseyin Can Haber Global
Murat Onur ATV
Ahmet Coşkunaydın EKOTürk TV