Spring 2005 (13.1)
Pages 20-21

Editor Elmar Huseinov
Conspiracy Theories: Who Killed Him? And Why?
by Fariz Ismailzade


Left: Fariz Ismailzade

This article was first published in the March 9, 2005 issue of the Central Asia - Caucasus Analyst, a bi-weekly journal published by the Central Asia - Caucasus Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (CACIANALYST.org). Reprinted with permission.

The murder of a prominent journalist and editor of the weekly magazine Monitor Elmar Huseinov, 37, in Baku on March 2, 2005, stirred political tensions throughout the country. A famous critic of the government, Huseinov was shot dead in the evening near his apartment while on his way home from work. The murder was immediately compared to the recent killings of famous journalists Gyorgi Gongadze in Ukraine (2000) and Georgi Sanaya in Georgia (2001).

Both the government and the opposition, as well as dozens of international media and human rights organizations have condemned the killing, calling for an immediate investigation of the tragedy. Political parties from the entire spectrum of the political arena of the country have met subsequently to discuss the murder and take necessary measures to build a public consensus and avoid the politicization of the issue. Yet this could not prevent the transformation of the funeral of the slain editor into a public protest. Thousands of people turned out to pay their last tribute to Huseinov, shouting anti-government slogans and calling for freedom and democracy.

Huseinov was, indeed, one of the most prominent and independent media champions in the country, yet he was often criticized for his slanderous way of writing. He bashed both the ruling regime and the opposition and was fined dozens of times for his articles. The total amount of fines, imposed by the court on the Monitor magazine, is said to have exceeded $200,000. In the past, Monitor was also closed for short periods of times due to pressure from the government.

Who Did It?

Left: The funeral procession for Elmar Huseinov, editor of Monitor Magazine, who was shot dead in front of his apartment on March 2, 2005. The question everybody wants answered: Who did it? Why?

Obviously, many fingers now point to the authorities. The opposition parties were quick to blame the government in masterminding the attack and trying to kill freedom of speech in the country prior the upcoming parliamentary elections, scheduled for November of this year.

Ali Karimli, the chairman of the opposition Popular Front party even branded the tragic event as "political terror". Indeed, the media in Azerbaijan has been under increasing pressure lately, but it is not a foregone conclusion that the authorities would be interested to eliminate Huseinov, who was known to be a "lone fighter". Subsequently, alternative explanations of the murder have also been offered.

Some independent experts in Baku believe that the murder was organized by outside powers, which are interested in disturbing the stability of the country. Without mentioning the names of these powers, these analysts believe that the ongoing economic progress in the country and the recent diplomatic advances made by Baku on the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh conflict might have created nervousness among Azerbaijan's enemies. If tied with the recent deaths and bombings in Georgia and Chechnya, it becomes clear that Azerbaijan has much to fear from its powerful regional neighbors.

Left: Huseinov's young son kissing his father's photo

At the same time, the upcoming parliamentary elections are crucial for the country's democratic development and regional stability. Having witnessed a major East-West rivalry in Ukraine and Georgia, Azerbaijanis are afraid that the upcoming elections in the country will push major regional powers into exercising various methods of influence, including terror and military sabotage.

Another popular explanation of Huseinov's murder among Azerbaijani observers is the ongoing rivalry among various groupings within the ruling party. Some believe that the murder was carried out with the express intention to weaken President Aliyev's increasing powers and destabilize the situation in the country in order to avoid much expected and long-awaited cadre changes.

Consequences
Left: The funeral procession of Elmar Huseinov gathered in front of the Academy of Sciences Building in Baku.

Whoever the true perpetrators are behind this murder, it is clear now that Azerbaijan's international image stands to suffer significantly.

The head of Azerbaijan's parliamentary delegation to the Council of Europe Samad Seidov has informed local news agencies that the April session of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly is planning to discuss Azerbaijan's obligations toward this institution and their implementation.

European lawmakers are expected to give a hot punch to the Azerbaijani authorities over the journalist's death.
Similarly, Azerbaijan's political stability and, subsequently, its balanced foreign policy might be at risk. Should foreign powers be identified as the primary organizers of the murder, Azerbaijan's political leadership will be confronted with risky but necessary and tough political decisions, which might favor one regional power over another. This, in turn, will further aggravate rivalry in the region and increase the stakes for the upcoming parliamentary elections.


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