Yeni Musavat Partiyasi (YMP-Musavat) is referred to by Political Parties of the World as the "New Muslim Democratic Party" (2002, 33) and as the "Muslim Democratic Party" by Europa World Yearbook 2001 (2001, 589). Other sources refer to this party as the "Equality" party (Azerbaijan Election Watch Sept. 1998; Freedom House 2001, 88) or the "New Equality Party" (CountryWatch.com 2001).

Musavat is a Baku-based political opposition party led by chairman Isa Gambarov (Isa Gambar) and secretary-general Vergun Ayub (Vurgun Eyyub) (Europa 2001 2001, 589; Political Parties of the World 2002, 33). Musavat is also listed as a member organization in the Democratic Congress opposition bloc (RFE/RL 29 May 2001; Azerbaijan Election Watch Sept. 1998) headed by Gambar (Pravda 19 February 2002). Although Musavat claimed 15,000 members in 1998 (Azerbaijan Election Watch Sept. 1998), the Research Directorate found no other report listing estimations of current party membership among sources consulted. However, one source mentioned that the Musavat party "enjoys popular support throughout the country" (Freedom House 2001, 88) and its newspaper, Yeni Musavat, is the "most popular independent paper" with a circulation of 21,000 (ibid., 90).

The 2002 edition of Political Parties of the World describes the party as follows:

The YMP (usually referred to as Musavat) was founded in June 1992, indirectly descended from the pre-Soviet Musavat nationalists, of moderate Islamic, pan-Turkic orientation. It was closely allied with the Azerbaijan Popular Front (AKC) under the 1992-93 government, when Gambarov was president of the interim National Assembly. The party came into sharp conflict with the succeeding [and current] government of Geidar Aliyev of the New Azerbaijan Party and won only one seat in the legislative elections held in November 1995 and February 1996. ...

Musavat boycotted the October 1998 presidential election but participated in local elections in December 1999, winning 618 of some 10,000 seats at issue. In February 2000 Musavat's Baku headquarters were ransacked by around 100 armed men from Nakhichevan who objected to recent coverage of the enclave in Yeni Musavat (the party's newspaper), although some observers saw the government's hand in the action. Initially refused registration for the November 2000 Assembly elections, Musavat was in the end allowed to present candidates and won two constituency seats (having taken only 4.9% of the vote in the proportional section). The party subsequently joined with other opposition formations in condemning the balloting as fraudulent.... (33).

For earlier information concerning the treatment of this party by the Azeri government and its relationship with Islam please consult AZE35631.E of 4 October 2000.

Reports dated between 2000 and the 2002 list Rauf Arifoglu as being the chief editor or editor-in-chief of the Yeni Musavat newspaper (Zerkalo 30 Mar. 2002; ANS TV 5 Oct. 2000; Turan 16 July 2001). Turan News Agency reported on 16 July 2001 that Arifoglu was "elected as the deputy chairman for publicity" and, thereafter, was referred to as a deputy-chairman in a number of reports (Yeni Musavat 26 May 2002; Assa-Irada 3 Dec. 2001; Turan News Agency 9 Aug. 2001).

With respect to the case against Arifoglu, he was charged with the illegal possession of arms, the "participation in the organizing of a terrorist act" (Turan 9 Jan. 2001) and "an appeal to forcibly change the existing state order" (ibid. 5 Oct. 2000). These charges stem from a telephone call made to Arifoglu by Musavat Culfa (Dzhulfa) branch chairman Mehdi Huseynli (Mekhti Guseynli) while engaged in the August 1999 hijacking of an Azeri aircraft bound for Baku (ibid. 9 Jan. 2001; ANS TV 5 Oct. 2000; AFP 29 Aug. 2001).

Arifoglu was arrested in August 1999 and held for 44 days until his release on 5 October 2000 (ANS TV 5 Oct. 2000) pending his trial and upon agreement not to leave Baku (Turan 5 Oct. 2000). As of 29 August 2001, Arifoglu was still on bail and awaiting his trial (AFP 29 Aug. 2001). Arifoglu was arrested again and released on 12-13 December 2001 in connection with a protest that took place at the ruling Yeni Azerbaycan party headquarters (Reporters Sans Frontières 19 Dec. 2001). The most recent report found by the Research Directorate was by the Center for Journalism in Extreme Situations, which reported that a suit filed against the state by Arifoglu following his 2000 arrest, originally scheduled for 28 March 2002 was "put off" until 8 April 2002 (25-31 March 2002). The Research Directorate was unable to find further mention of this suit or of the pending case against Arifoglu

.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Agence France Presse. 29 August 2001. "Azeri Opposition Activist Gets Nine Years Jail for Hijacking." (NEXIS)

ANS TV [Baku, in Azeri]. 5 October 2000. "Azerbaijan: Jailed Editor Released." (BBC Monitoring 5 October 2000/NEXIS)

Assa-Irda News Agency. 3 December 2001. "Opposition Papers to Sue Ruling Party." (NEXIS)

Azerbaijan Election Watch. September 1998. "Parties of Azerbaijan - September 1998." Hosted by Eurasianet.org. http://www.eurasianet.org/departments/election/ Azerbaijan/azparties.html [Accessed 12 June 2002]

Center for Journalism in Extreme Situations. 13 June 2002. "About the Center for Journalism in Extreme Situations." http://www.cjes.ru/english/about.php [Accessed 13 June 2002]

_____. 25-31 March 2002. Weekly Bulletin of Events in the Mass Media of CIS States. No. 11. http://www.cjes.ru/bulletin/weekly/sng-11-e.php [Accessed 13 June 2002]

According to the organization, "[t]he Center ... was established on February 1, 2000 as a subdivision of the RUJ [Russian Union of Journalists] concerned with protecting journalists' rights" (13 June 2002).

CountryWatch.com. 2001. Country Review Azerbaijan 2001-2002. http://www.angelfire.com/super/eiu/Countrywatch/Country_Watch_Azerbaijan_2001_02.pdf [Accessed 12 June 2002]

The Europa World Year Book 2001. 2001. 42nd ed. Vol. 1. London: Europa Publications

Freedom House. 2001. Nations in Transit 2001. http://www.freedomhouse.org/pdf_docs/research/nitransit/2001/08_azerbaijan.pdf [Accessed 12 June 2002]

Political Parties of the World. 2002. 5th Edition. Edited by Alan J. Day. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group.

Pravda [Moscow]. 19 February 2002. "Hot Spring Expected in Azerbaijan." http://english.pravda.ru/main/2002/02/19/26474.html [Accessed 13 June 2002]

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). 29 May 2001. Azerbaijan Report "Opposition Marked Day of Republic on 28 May." http://www.rferl.org/bd/az/ report/2001/05/0-290501.html [Accessed 13 June 2002]

Reporters Sans Frontières. 19 December 2001. "RSF Worries About Press Freedom Worsening." http://www.rsf.fr/article.php3?id_article=350 [Accessed 13 June 2002]

Turan News Agency [Baku, in Russian]. 9 August 2001. "Police Stand Idle as Hooligans Attack Azeri Opposition Members in Northern Town." (BBC Monitoring 9 August 2001/NEXIS)

_____. 16 July 2001. "Azerbaijani Opposition Party Elects New Deputy Chairman." (FBIS-SOV-2001-0717 16 July 2001/WNC)

_____. 9 January 2001. "Criminal Charges Against Azeri Editor Not to be Dropped, Prosecutor Says." (FBIS-SOV-2001-0109 9 Jan. 2001/WNC)

_____. 5 October 2000. "Azeri Prosecutor Says Release of Opposition Journalist Not Result of Pressure." (FBIS-SOV-2000-1006 5 Oct. 2000/WNC)

Yeni Musavat [Baku, in Azeri]. 26 May 2002. Konul Samilqizi. "Azeri Police Warn Opposition Leaders Against Holding Unsanctioned Rally." (BBC Monitoring 26 May 2002/NEXIS)

Zerkalo [Baku, in Russian]. 30 March 2002. R. Farahil and M. Mammadov. "Opposition Party Officials Debate National Priorities at Roundtable." (FBIS-SOV-2002-0412 30 Mar. 2002/WNC)

Freedom House referred to Zerkalo as the only newspaper that is "truly independent, professional, and dependent on advertising revenues" (2001, 90).

Additional Sources Consulted

IRB Databases

NEXIS

Political Handbook of the World: 1999. 1999. Edited by Arthur S. Banks and Thomas C. Muller. Binghamton, NY: CSA Publications

Internet sites including:

Azerbaijan Daily Digest

Azerbaijan Election Watch

Assa-Irada (Baku)

Eurasianet.org

Freedom House, Nations in Transit (2000-2002)

Interfax Azerbaijan

Musavat Party Website

Open Society Institute- Azerbaijan

OSCE Election Reports

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL)

Soros Foundation

Virtual Azerbaijan

World News Connection

Yeni Musavat Newspaper