Detentions of two more independent journalists in Azerbaijan spark concern
Published: 14 December 2023 14:40
Two more journalists are arrested in Azerbaijan.
The detention of investigative journalist Hafiz Babali has sparked concerns about press freedom in Azerbaijan. Babali, known for his work with AbzasMedia, was reportedly taken into custody by the Baku City Police Department. Earlier, his residence underwent a search by law enforcement on December 13, prompting worry among his family members.
Babali’s summons to testify at the Baku Serious Crimes Investigation Unit on November 28 connected to the AbzasMedia case seems to have triggered his detainment. Admitting his authorship of numerous investigations for AbzasMedia, he openly cooperated during the interrogation. Post-testimony, he raised questions about cleanliness standards at the Baku City Police Department, pointing out unclean windows during his questioning.
He took to social media to expose discrepancies, highlighting a significant contract between the Baku City Police Department and a cleaning company for the maintenance of administrative buildings, revealing discrepancies in window cleaning expenditures despite poor conditions. Furthermore, state-funded media recently aired defamatory content targeting AbzasMedia, dragging Babali’s name into the mix.
In a separate incident, Arshad Ibrahimov, head of the dunyaninsesi.az website in Ganja faced a similar fate. He was reportedly apprehended by the Department of Combating Organized Crime and brought from Ganja to Baku. His detention coincided with the detainment of Hüriyet Ismayilova, the chief doctor of the Hygiene and Epidemiology Center in Ganja.
Arshad Ibrahimov faces charges under Article 182.2.2 of the Criminal Code for alleged extortion through repeated threats and spreading defamatory content, with a potential prison sentence ranging from 5 to 10 years. Allegations suggest he demanded money in exchange for removing disparaging articles about individuals.
His family contests these accusations, emphasizing a forced statement allegedly extracted from a woman claiming Arshad demanded money from her three years prior. They question the delayed complaint and suspect ulterior motives. Notably, Ibrahimov’s family believes his arrest correlates with critical articles about law enforcement published on his website, leading to repeated pressure by authorities to remove these pieces.
The Narimanov District Court has ordered a four-month pretrial detention for Ibrahimov amid concerns from his family that his detention may be a result of his critical journalism regarding the police.
These incidents raise concerns about the state of press freedom and the treatment of journalists in Azerbaijan, prompting questions about the motives behind the arrests amidst their involvement with independent media organizations.