Killed journalist’s foundation gets US grant

The grant allocated by the US government to the Elmar Huseynov Foundation was presented in a ceremony held in the US embassy in Baku on Tuesday.

Addressing the event, US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Anne Derse called Elmar Huseynov a symbol of independent journalism. She said the fact that the journalist’s killers have yet to be punished cast a shadow on freedom of press, calling on the Azerbaijani authorities to find the culprits.

The diplomat said the United States was concerned over what she described as persecution of the opposition Yeni Musavat newspaper’s correspondent in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic Hekimeldostu Mehdiyev.

Derse said the jailings of journalists was an issue of concern as well and requested the Azerbaijani government to release the jailed journalists.

The US ambassador said that the newly established Elmar Huseynov prize would be awarded every month to distinguished journalists, noting that it was mainly intended for analytical journalists. She said the award was constituted on the initiative of US Assistant Secretary of State Barry Lowenkron.

Derse said that Huseynov’s website will be launched on Wednesday as well.

The Norwegian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Ion Ramberg called Huseynov the embodiment of freedom.

Shahbaz Khuduoghlu, a co-founder of the Foundation, extended his gratitude to the US embassy for the grant. “This once again proves that the United States is the closest friend of the Azerbaijani press,” he said.

Khuduoghlu said the grant would be spent on the implementation of 18 projects and awarding one journalist every month.*