Expression Online: Promoting internet freedom
As Azerbaijan embraces its digital age with over 2.5 million people online, questions about the people’s access and online freedoms are emerging
If you live in a sparsely populated rural area in Azerbaijan, accessing the Internet can be a challenge. While some solutions are available, they are often cumbersome and expensive. Since its launch in June 2012, the Expression Online initiative, established by two Azerbaijani NGOs are trying to address the country’s emerging internet issues, through advanced research on internet accessibility, access to information and implementation of eGovernance and freedom of expression online.
Fast Internet slow to arrive in rural Azerbaijan
In the rural areas of Azerbaijan, where three quarters of the population live, the contrast between those with fast and reliable Internet access and those without it is clear. The Expression Online team recently went to visit regions outside the capital Baku to examine the situation.
Living in a village in the Goranboy region, 21 year-old Rufat travels approximately 1.5 hours to reach the nearest Internet café to check his Facebook profile. His friend, the 24 year-old Jabbar is luckier, living next door to an Internet café, but the access is still irregular and unreliable, making it difficult for Jabbar to find a job.
Far from the two friends’ daily difficulties in gaining regular and reliable access to the Internet is the Internet Governance Forum, taking place in less than three months in Baku. The international conference held in November is set to bring unprecedented attention to Azerbaijan’s human rights situation, and is also an opportunity to focus on Internet freedoms in the country.
“Zero tolerance for violation of free expression”
Rufat and Jabbar hope the conference will mean a better Internet infrastructure in their region as well, and the Expression Online initiative is trying to assist them and the many other Azerbaijanis who lack proper online access.
– We will continue our efforts until every user in Azerbaijan enjoys Internet access and freedom, and we have zero tolerance for violations of free expression – both online and offline. By pooling our resources and areas of expertise, the members of Expression Online strive to support Internet freedom in all of Azerbaijan, says Emin Huseynov from the Expression Online initiative and the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety.
Together with a coalition of international freedom of expression NGOs, the International Partnership Group on Azerbaijan (IPGA), is set to produce its first full scale Azerbaijan Internet Freedom report ahead of the Internet Governance Forum. Together with the Deutsche Welle Academie and Association for Progressive Communications, the Expression Online initiative will also will be organising a series of events including media workshops and international conferences on net neutrality and freedom, as well as a dozen thematic roundtables leading up to the governance forum.
Expression Online was established by the Azerbaijan-based NGOs, Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety and Human Rights Club, with support from National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and International Media Support.
The Internet Governance Forum is a multi-stakeholder policy dialogue space organised by the United Nations Secretary General in 2006 to “foster the sustainability, robustness, security, stability and development of the internet”.
