Online Briefing on Journalists and Media at COP29 in Azerbaijan

Climate Observers Partnership, International Press Institute and Institute for Reporters` Freedom and Safety will hold an online briefing on Journalists and Media at COP29 in Azerbaijan. 

Event Details:

• Date: November 28, 2024

• Time: 14.00 CET

• Venue: Zoom (https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85749022267?pwd=RSEvHDslNhgpMjeonyUWtD0ljIOaPQ.BCi28FvBoJvm6ZK3)  

As COP29 draws global attention to critical climate negotiations, Azerbaijan’s government has intensified its crackdown on media and independent journalists. This suppression extends from targeting in-country reporters to increasing pressures on exiled Azerbaijani journalists, who face significant challenges, including intimidation, surveillance, and even transborder repressions. The escalating crackdown threatens not only media freedom but also the transparency of Azerbaijan’s commitments to the global climate agenda.

Following the June 2024 report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Irene Khan, which concluded that exile does not always guarantee safety for journalists, and the recently adopted European Media Freedom Act, which emphasizes the protection of journalists, including from surveillance, we find it particularly timely to address the growing challenges faced by exiled Azerbaijani journalists who continue to face threats, harassment, and systemic barriers. 

Moreover, the joint statement by the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor; the UN Special Rapporteur on environmental defenders under the Aarhus Convention, Michel Forst; and the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association, Gina Romero, has highlighted “an alarming wave of arrests and criminal cases against human rights defenders in the country, including journalists and independent media.” 

The first official communication with Azerbaijan, initiated by the new Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O'Flaherty, highlighted the pressing human rights violations in the country, including the ongoing crackdown against civil society. In this correspondence, he urged Azerbaijani authorities to release journalists and media workers who have been detained for legitimately criticizing the government. This appeal adds to the growing body of evidence and international concern over the systematic repression of free expression and independent media in Azerbaijan, further amplifying the need for urgent action to address these violations.

This briefing seeks to shed light on the severe repercussions of this crackdown before, during, and the potential fallout after COP29. It will expose how journalists covering the conference were treated, detail human rights violations, and analyze the broader impact on media freedom in the region.

Objectives

• Highlight the increasing repression of media and independent journalists in Azerbaijan, with a focus on recent developments leading up to COP29.

• Raise awareness about the growing number of Azerbaijani journalists forced into exile and the challenges they face in continuing their work.

• Provide an overview of how journalists were treated at COP29, including access, restrictions, and intimidation.

• Expose human rights violations against media workers and alert on the long-term consequences for media freedom in Azerbaijan post-COP29.

• Advocate for stronger international action to address media suppression and support Azerbaijani journalists.

Please use following details to join us!

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85749022267?pwd=RSEvHDslNhgpMjeonyUWtD0ljIOaPQ.BCi28FvBoJvm6ZK3 

Webinar ID: 857 4902 2267 Passcode: 057883