International Media Day and arrests in Azerbaijan

Most of the independent media workers are in prison

Today, May 3, is celebrated as International Media Day. How is this day celebrated in Azerbaijan?

Since the end of last year, the government of Azerbaijan has been cracking down on independent and free media.
Independent media ended 2023 with the raid on “AbzasMedia”, and the new year began with the raid on the office of “Toplum TV” and the arrest of its employees.

So, last year, on November 20, the director of “AbzasMedia” Ulvi Hasanli, his deputy Mahammad Kekalov, on November 21, the editor-in-chief of the site Sevinj Vagifgizi, on November 30, reporter Nargiz Absalamova, on December 13, investigative journalist Hafiz Babali were detained. . However, arrests in the said criminal case continued this year.

They were charged under Article 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code (smuggling, when committed by a group of persons who colluded in advance), and preventive measures of arrest were chosen. If the court accepts the accusations of the prosecutor’s office during the investigation, journalists face up to 8 years in prison.

Journalists deny the accusations and link their arrests to corruption investigations published in AbzasMedia against government officials.

The year began with imprisonment

In the first quarter of the year, arrests, bans on leaving the country, blocking of bank accounts, suppression of family members continued at the same pace.

Journalist Elnara Gasimova, who was summoned to be questioned as a witness in the criminal case related to the “AbzasMedia” case on January 13, was detained as a suspect.

Like the other 5 journalists imprisoned in the “AbzasMedia” case, he was charged with Article 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code (smuggling, when committed by a group of persons who colluded in advance). He has not been released to this day.

On January 15, journalist and political analyst Shahin Rzayev was arrested. He was sentenced to 15 days of administrative imprisonment by the decision of the Surakhani District Court. He was charged with articles 510 (petty hooliganism) and 535.1 (disobeying the legal request of the police) of the Code of Administrative Offenses. A day later, the Baku Appellate Court changed the 15-day detention order on him. His sentence was replaced by a 50 manat fine and he was released from the courtroom.

The prison term has been extended

On February 21, Aziz Orujov, the imprisoned head of “Kanal 13” internet television, has been detained for an extended period of time during the investigation period.

Starting from February 24, the prison terms of all journalists arrested in connection with the “AbzasMedia” case have been extended by another 3 months.

Police raid on the editorial office

On March 6, the police raided the office of the independent media organization “Toplum TV”, confiscated the employees’ phones, searched them, and at the same time detained the employees of the channel.

A criminal case was opened against Toplum TV under article 206.3.2 (smuggling) of the CM. The search was also conducted in the office of the “III Respublika” platform, which was established at the end of last year.

Akif Gurbanov, Ruslan Izzateli, Alasgar Mammadli, Mushfiq Jabbar, Ali Zeynal, Ramil Babayev, Elmir Abbasov and Ilkin Amrahov were arrested for this case.

Each house was searched and “money was found”.

Later, the editor-in-chief of “Toplum TV” Khadija Ismayilova was interrogated.

Suicide, sentence…

At the end of March, it was reported that Shamo Eminov, an employee of “Kanal 13” internet television, committed suicide.

His lawyer Elchin Sadigov stated with reference to him that “He did not tolerate the insults and tried to commit suicide.”

In April, the trial of Jamil Mammadli, a journalist who lives in Khachmaz and prepares materials for various media organizations about events in the northern region, has ended.
At the end of the 10-month-long trial, on April 17, the verdict was read in the Sumgayit Serious Crimes Court. According to the verdict presided over by judge Fahmin Humbatov, Jamil Mammadli was sentenced to 6 years and 2 months of imprisonment.

Jamil Mammadli was acquitted under Article 182 (extortion by threat) of the Criminal Code. He was found guilty under articles 178 (fraud) and 221 (hooliganism) of the Criminal Code.

The journalist pleads guilty only to the charge of hooliganism. He says that the other accusations are baseless.

Exit from the country “Stop!”

Imran Aliyev, head of “Meclis.info” website, was detained at Heydar Aliyev International Airport on April 18 in the evening.

On April 19, Khatai District Court ordered a 2-month pretrial detention for him for the preliminary investigation period.

When Imran Aliyev was brought to the court, there were injury marks on him. He said that he was subjected to violence.

Imran Aliyev was brought to justice in the criminal case related to “AbzasMedia” publication. Like other journalists imprisoned in this case, he was charged with Article 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code (smuggling by a group of persons who colluded in advance). He was accused of receiving funds through unregistered grant contracts in Azerbaijan and smuggling them into the country.

Arrested journalists do not claim to be guilty, they say that they were oppressed because of their professional activities.

On May 3, i.e. International Press Day, journalist Nigar Mubariz was detained at the airport on his way to the United States and was told that he was banned from leaving the country.

International organizations linked these decisions with the groundless conduct of the investigation and said that there is pressure on journalists.

Although the West, the United States, and human rights organizations called on the Azerbaijani government to release the unjustly arrested journalists, they did not release anyone, but increased the repression.

Khalid Agaliyev, an expert in the field of media and a lawyer, says that in general, there have been no particularly serious changes in the media field of Azerbaijan this year. For years, this area has been very problematic, as evidenced by the media freedom indices of the last 10-15 years:

“Financial stability and advertising revenues, which are the basic conditions for the freedom of the media, are non-existent. The functioning of laws protecting the media is problematic. In such a situation, going 1-2 steps back or forward does not seriously affect the overall picture. From this point of view, it is impossible to talk about anything positive”.

The lawyer says that in light of the changes in the laws governing the media in recent years, what has happened against representatives of the free media in recent months, and the arrests, it is possible to say that the general picture has worsened, and that our country is moving further away from a favorable environment for free media.