Depredador

Ilham ALIYEV

24 de diciembre de 1961

Presidente de la República de Azerbaiyán desde 2003

Depredador desde que llegó al poder/recrudecimiento desde 2014

Azerbaiyán, 167º/ 180 en la Clasificación Mundial de la Libertad de Prensa 2021

Dear [Name of Candidate],

I am writing to ask you what you plan to do to defend the First Amendment, freedom of the press, and the fundamental rights of journalists to practice their profession freely in what has become an increasingly hostile environment for information and news providers.

The United States, which enshrines press freedom in the First Amendment of its Constitution, is currently witnessing a drastic decline in media freedom. On June 28, one of the most horrific attacks on press freedom in the United States occurred when five employees, including four reporters, were killed at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland. According to the US Press Freedom Tracker, which comprehensively documents press freedom violations in the US committed by national, state, and local authorities as well as private individuals, 33 journalists were arrested, 43 were physically attacked, and 15 seizures of journalists’ equipment occurred in 2017. In one of these incidents, Rep. Greg Gianforte physically assaulted a Guardian journalist the night before his state’s election. While covering the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, journalists were impersonated on social media, impeding their ability to accurately investigate the facts and disseminate information which could be vital to preventing a similar tragedy. This hostility towards the press not only risks compromising the American public’s right to be informed through journalists’ reporting, but can also degrade the public’s trust in the media itself.

This is not a partisan issue; it is a fundamental right that impacts every American no matter their politics. Journalism is at the crux of our democracy, and communities everywhere rely on journalists to provide them with information that is essential to their daily decision-making processes. It was local investigative journalist Curt Guyette who broke the story about Flint, Michigan’s lack of access to clean water in 2014, prompting years of class-action lawsuits, protests, and subsequent federal assistance to the city in order to try to resolve the crisis. Reporters Megan Twohey, Jodi Kantor, and Ronan Farrow publicized sexual assault allegations against influential Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein in 2017, leading to the ubiquitous and powerful #MeToo movement which brought decades of sexual abuse and harassment across multiple industries to light.

Yet freedom of the press in the US is currently in dire need of congressional support. It is our civic duty as one of the world’s leading democracies to uphold principles that support and protect the rights of journalists so that they may hold those in power accountable and ensure an informed and engaged community.

If you are elected, what do you plan to do to protect this utterly essential component of our democracy? What are your plans to protect the public’s right to be informed through a free and independent press?

Sincerely,
[Your name]

Hello, my name is _______ and I am from [city, state].

I’m calling to let you know that [candidate/representative]'s stance on freedom of the press is extremely important in my decision to vote. I feel that this is not a partisan issue, but a fundamental right that impacts every American no matter their politics.

I have become increasingly concerned with the growing climate of hostility for journalists in this country, and I would like for [candidate/representative] to publicly address what they will do to defend press freedom if [he/she] is elected.

Thank you.

Freedom of the press is suffering in the US. @[yourcandidate] if you are elected to serve in Congress, what are your plans to protect journalists and our right to be informed? Will you #DefendPressFreedom?

Democracy depends on a free and independent press and its ability to hold those in power accountable. [@yourcandidate] will you take measures to protect journalism and the First Amendment? Will you #DefendPressFreedom?

In June, four reporters were murdered in an appalling targeted attack on the Capital Gazette and freedom of the press. [@yourcandidate] what will you do to address the growing threat to journalists in this country? #DefendPressFreedom

Press freedom is in steady decline in the US. I want my representative to defend the work of journalists as well as my right to be informed. [@yourcandidate] if you are elected what will you do to protect a free press? #DefendPressFreedom

Journalists play a crucial role in our democracy by keeping us informed and holding those in power accountable. And yet in the US, attacks on journalists are becoming more common, undermining the media's role and creating opportunities for government overreach, the erosion of press freedom, and impeding our right to be informed. I’m contacting my candidates and encouraging them to defend press freedom during their midterm election campaign. Join me at DefendPressFreedom.com

A free press is essential to our democracy. Communities everywhere rely on journalists to report on our government’s actions and hold public figures accountable, providing us with the information we need to make decisions every day. And yet physical, verbal, and online attacks against journalists in the US are increasing at an astonishing rate. I’m contacting my candidates and encouraging them to defend press freedom during their midterm election campaign. You should too. Read more at DefendPressFreedom.com

Press freedom is declining in the US at an alarming rate. Physical, verbal, and online attacks against journalists have increased drastically in the last two years. As the US midterm elections approach, we must remind our congressional candidates that journalists play a crucial role in our democracy by keeping us informed and holding those in power accountable. I’m contacting my representatives and encouraging them to defend press freedom during their midterm election campaign. Join in and help me spread the word at DefendPressFreedom.com

MÉTODO DE DEPREDACIÓN: justicia subordinada al régimen de Bakú

En Azerbaiyán, la justicia se somete al régimen y condena a los periodistas con pretextos absurdos y falaces, a veces, por motivos muy graves. Mientras tanto, los servicios de seguridad no tienen prisa por investigar las agresiones a los periodistas. Al contrario, quienes agreden a los periodistas están protegidos incluso cuando cometen crímenes atroces. Bajo el gobierno de Alíev, se puede bloquear legalmente a los medios de información digitales si representan un "peligro para el Estado o la sociedad". Por último, la censura ha seguido endureciéndose durante el conflicto armado entre Armenia y Azerbaiyán en Nagorno-Karabaj, y es común que el gobierno de Bakú se niegue a acreditar a periodistas extranjeros.

OBJETIVOS PREDILECTOS: las voces críticas

Ilham Alíev tiene como objetivos, especialmente, a los medios independientes y a los periodistas críticos con el régimen. Los periodistas de investigación se enfrentan a un severo castigo por indagar sobre la corrupción, la malversación de fondos o el blanqueo de capitales. En febrero de 2021, Zaour Gambarov (Anews.az), un periodista crítico cuyos artículos trataban sobre problemas socioeconómicos en la región de Gadabay, sufrió una agresión física. A pesar de que había sido la víctima en el ataque, se dictó contra él una sentencia de tres años y medio de cárcel por "alterar el orden público". Después recibió el indulto presidencial. Ilham Alíev extiende su cruzada contra la libertad de prensa más allá de las fronteras y no duda en atacar a los familiares de los periodistas. Afgan Mukhtarli, periodista de investigación que indaga sobre la corrupción y el nepotismo en el país, fue obligado a exiliarse en Georgia, donde fue secuestrado en 2017 y entregado a los servicios de seguridad de Azerbaiyán.

Ese mismo año, el cuñado del periodista Turkel Azerturk (Turan TV), considerado disidente y exiliado en los Países Bajos, fue detenido por “tráfico de drogas” en Bakú. El régimen también practica el chantaje con grabaciones sexuales. En 2012, la periodista independiente Khadija Ismailova tuvo acceso a videos íntimos de ella misma grabados sin su conocimiento y que se distribuían de forma masiva en internet. La periodista investigaba una trama de corrupción que involucraba a la familia Alíev.

DISCURSO OFICIAL: entre la negación y la hipocresía

“Tenemos medios libres, tenemos internet libre. En este momento, a causa de la ley marcial, tenemos algunas restricciones, pero antes no había restricciones. Más del 80% de la población usa internet en Azerbaiyán. ¿Puede usted imaginarse una limitación a la prensa en un país en el que tanta gente tiene libre acceso a internet y donde no hay censura? (...) ¿Cómo puede usted decir que no tenemos medios libres? Se trata otra vez de un enfoque sesgado, un intento de crear cierta percepción sobre Azerbaiyán entre el público occidental. Tenemos oposición, tenemos ONG, tenemos libertad de actividad política, tenemos medios de comunicación libres, tenemos libertad de expresión”. (Entrevista para BBC News, en pleno conflicto en Nagorno-Karabakh, en noviembre de 2020).