s worst jailers of the press - each made extensive use of vague anti-state laws to silence dissenting political views, including those expressed by ethnic minorities. Overall, anti-state charges such as terrorism, treason, and subversion were the most common allegations brought against journalists in 2012. At least 132 journalists were being held around the world on such charges. Eritrea and Syria...
s 2012 world press freedom prize . In 2011, the government threatened activist Elnur Majidli with 12 years in jail for "inciting hatred" (for calling for public protests via Facebook). Human rights activist and blogger Emin Milli, previously attacked and jailed for "hooliganism", has written a widely publicised letter this week to President Ilham Aliyev, warning that "the internet is not free in Azerbaijan...
s lawyers wanted to comment after the case. The blocking of an extended gagging order came just before the midnight Wednesday deadline under which BP was confined to holding talks on the sale of its half-share of TNK-BP with its existing Russian partners. The Alfa Access Renova (AAR) consortium, led by Russian billionaire Mikhail Fridman, has said it wants to buy out the 50% holding it does not own...
t want a war, but if we have to, we will fight and win." The case of Ramil Safarov, an Azeri army lieutenant who was jailed in Hungary in 2004 for the murder of Gurgen Margaryan during a Nato Partnership for Peace course that they both attended, has inflamed public opinion in Azerbaijan and Armenia. The two countries have a history of hostilities that includes a war over the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave...