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US Ambassador urges Azeri government to find Elmar Huseynovâ€™s assassinators

02 March 2007 11:40 (UTC +04:00)

The ambassador called for everybody to try to create free conditions for media, Azerbaijani government to find the killers of Elmar Huseynov and to punish the ones who intimidates journalists.
US Embassy in Azerbaijan released remarks by Ambassador Anne E. Derse on the occasion of second anniversary of the murder of Elmar Huseynov.
The remarks say that those responsible for this crime have not been arrested, they have not stood trial, and they have not been punished for their crime. In a democracy, the media serves as the ultimate guarantor of the peopleâ€™s freedom. Those who intimidate, beat or kill journalists like Elmar Huseynov seek, quite simply, to deprive the people of that right, and of their freedom. The murders of Elmar Huseynov succeeded in killing a man. But they did not succeed, and can never succeed, in killing that idea.
The ambassador said that Azerbaijan has chosen, of its own free will, a democratic future.
â€œI urge the Azerbaijani authorities, in the service of that great goal, to redouble their efforts to ensure justice is done. Find and prosecute the killers of Elmar Huseynov. Honor him and all those who believe in freedom by implementing fully Azerbaijanâ€™s commitments to rule of law, media freedom, and democracy.
On behalf of the American people and the Government of the United States, I offer my deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Mr. Huseynov. He was a fearless champion of democracy in Azerbaijan. Let us honor his memory by working together to champion the principles for which he died. May he rest in peaceâ€?.
Special Representative of the Secretary General to Azerbaijan Denis Bribosia told the APA that CE PA and Committee of Ministers called for several times to find the murder of Elmar Huseynov.
â€œI am sure CE PA is still concerned over this case,â€? he said. /APA/