Rasul Jafarov

Rasul Jafarov
Rəsul Cəfərov
Rasul Jafarov
Born	(1984-08-17) 17 August 1984 (age 40) Azerbaijan
Nationality	Azerbaijani
Occupation(s)	lawyer, human rights activist
Known for	human rights activism
Awards	The Andrei Sakharov Freedom Award by Norwegian Helsinki Committee (2014)

Rasul Jafarov (Azerbaijani: Rəsul Ağahəsən oğlu Cəfərov; born August 17, 1984) is a lawyer and prominent human rights defender^[1] in Azerbaijan.

In April 2015, he was sentenced to six and a half years' imprisonment. He was considered a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International.^[2] He received a pardon in March 2016.

Education

Jafarov is a lawyer by training, and holds a bachelor's and a master's degree in international and European law.^[3]

Activities

Rasul Jafarov has worked as reporter for the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS), where he investigated (as reporter) numerous criminal cases against journalists, prepared reports about the cases, and monitored the trials and legal correspondences.^[4]

He is also a founder and chairman of the Human Rights Club (HRC), non-formal group, which has been denied legal registration by the Azerbaijani court since the group establishment in 2010.^[5] Within the HRC Jafarov has coordinated in 2012 the "Sing for Democracy" campaign.^[6] Using the occasion of Azerbaijan hosting the Eurovision Song Contest, this campaign demanded that citizens' rights be respected, and highlighted that two journalists critical of the authorities in Azerbaijan had been murdered.^[7] The "Sing for Democracy" campaign received wide international coverage.^[8][9] In December 2012, “Sing for Democracy” was expanded and rebranded as “Art for Democracy,” which Rasul Jafarov continues to lead.

Also in 2012 Rasul Jafarov has organized "Expression Online Initiative" that coincided with Internet Governance Forum, which took place in Baku, Azerbaijan. "The campaign continues to expand Internet freedoms by protecting online activists, streamlining and initiating new Internet freedom legislation, as well as engaging in practical solutions to protect Internet rights."^[5]

Jafarov has been involved in a number of other efforts to educate citizens of Azerbaijan about their rights, to ensure legal representation of political prisoners, and to highlight human rights abuses.^[3]

He was also an active participant of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum.^[10]

In June 2014, Rasul Jafarov has been included to the Natalia Project^[5] - alarm and positioning system for human rights defenders at risk.^[11][12]

In 2014, together with Leyla Yunus, Rasul Jafarov has led a Working Group, which worked on compiling a list of political prisoners in Azerbaijan. In early August 2014 both of them have been arrested, and their names are the last ones on the list - final outcome of their work - which has been published by the Norwegian Helsinki Committee.^[13]

Political prisoner

On August 2, 2014 Jafarov was imprisoned^[14] on charges that are widely considered to be fabricated.^[15]

During detention, Rasul Jafarov turned 30 years old.^[16] On the occasion of his 30th birthday his friends and supporters organized an action "Books for Rasul - birthday in prison".^[17][18][19]

Numerous international organizations, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the Open Society Institute and the International Bar Association have highlighted his arrest in a public letter.^[20][21] Also inter-governmental institutions, such as European Union,^[1] United Nations, has expressed their deep concern regarding Rasul Jafarov's detention.

In April 2015, he was sentenced to six and a half years' imprisonment.

In March 2016 Jafarov was among 148 prisoners who received a presidential pardon.^[22]

Awards

Nominations

In 2014, a number of organizations have also put Jafarov forward for the Sakharov Prize, together with Leyla Yunus and Intiqam Aliyev.^[3]

Rasul Jafarov has been also nominated for the Human Rights Tulip award.^[23][24][25]

Awarded

In October 2014, The Norwegian Helsinki Committee awarded Rasul Jafarov - together with Leyla Yunus, Anar Mammadli and Intiqam Aliyev - The Andrei Sakharov Freedom Award.^[26]

References

1. "Azerbaijan: EU concerned by further arrests of human rights activists". European Commission. 2014-08-06. Retrieved 2014-10-06.
2. "Azerbaijan: The repression games: The voices you won't hear at the first European Games". Amnesty International. June 10, 2015. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
3. "Rasul Jafarov". European Stability Initiative. Archived from the original on Sep 5, 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
4. "Journalist from Azerbaijan included in the Natalia Project". Civil Rights Defenders. 2014-06-16. Archived from the original on Sep 23, 2015. Retrieved 2014-10-06.
5. "Natalia Project bearer Rasul Jafarov arrested in Baku". Civil Rights Defenders. 2014-08-03. Archived from the original on Sep 23, 2015. Retrieved 2014-10-06.
6. "Sing for democracy".
7. "Sing for Democracy". YouTube Video. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
8. Walker, Shaun. "Singing in Azerbaijan – but not for democracy". The Independent. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
9. "Rasul Jafarov (Azerbaijan). Human Rights Activist". Under 30. Meet 30 inspiring young activists working for democratic future. National Endowment for Democracy. Retrieved 2014-10-06.
10. "EaP CSF member Rasul Jafarov nominated for Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought 2014". Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
11. "About Natalia Project". Natalia Project. Retrieved 2014-10-06.
12. Isaacson, Betsy (2013-08-04). "'Natalia Project' Bracelet Aims To Protect Human Rights Defenders". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2014-10-06.
13. Yunus, Leyla; Jafarov, Rasul (2014). THE LIST OF POLITICAL PRISONERS IN AZERBAIJAN (PDF). Norwegian Helsinki Committee.
14. "Rasul Jafarov arrested in Baku". Norwegian Helsinki Committee. 2014-08-04. Retrieved 2014-10-06.
15. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). "Persecution of rights activists must stop – UN experts call on the Government of Azerbaijan". Retrieved 4 September 2014.
16. "Rasul Jafarov spends his 30th birthday behind bars". Civil Rights Defenders. 2014-08-17. Retrieved 2014-10-06.
17. "Books for Rasul - birthday in prison". Facebook. 2014-08-07. Retrieved 2014-10-06.
18. Rayna (2014-08-07). "#BooksForRasul: What Jailed Azerbaijani Human Rights Defenders Need Most? Books". Global Voices. Rayna St. Retrieved 2014-10-06.
19. "Azerbaijan: Wave of arrests of prominent human rights defenders". Article19. 2014-08-08. Retrieved 2014-10-06.
20. Human Rights Watch; Amnesty International; OSI; et al. (August 28, 2014). "Dear Secretary General Jagland" (PDF). Retrieved 4 September 2014.
21. "ИМП требует освободить Расула Джафарова!". Институт Медиа Права. 2014-08-05. Archived from the original on Oct 8, 2014. Retrieved 2014-10-06.
22. "Azerbaijan leader pardons 148 prisoners, including activists". BBC News. 17 March 2016. Archived from the original on Dec 5, 2022.
23. "Rasul Jafarov - Candidates and Voting". Human Rights Tulip. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Netherlands. Archived from the original on Oct 3, 2014. Retrieved 2014-10-06.
24. "Cast your vote here: Rasul Jafarov". Human Rights Tulip. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Netherlands. Retrieved 2014-10-06.
25. "Jafarov and Yunus are among the 30 candidates nominated for the 2014 Human Rights Tulip Award". Meydan TV. Meydan TV - Azerbaijan's free and alternative media channel. 2014-10-01. Retrieved 2014-10-06.
26. "Andrei Sakharov Freedom Award to political prisoners in Azerbaijan". Den Norske Helsingforskomite. 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2014-10-06.