National Press Day against the backdrop of media repression

Independent journalists were arrested, dozens of them were banned from leaving the country

Today, on July 22, the national press of Azerbaijan turns 149 years old. The last eight months in Azerbaijan have been marked by a sharp crackdown on the media and the arrest of journalists.

At least 4 media organizations have been targeted in the country since November last year – “AbzasMedia”, “Toplum TV”, “meclis.info” and “Kanal 13”. More than ten journalists from all 4 media organizations were arrested. At the same time, the bank accounts of dozens of journalists and their family members were seized, and their exit from the country was prohibited.

The persecutions began at the end of 2023 with the raid on the independent media “AbzasMedia”, known for its investigations. At the beginning of the following year, the office of “Toplum TV” was raided and its employees were arrested.

On November 20, the director of “AbzasMedia” Ulvi Hasanli, his deputy Mahammad Kekalov, on November 21, the editor-in-chief of the site Sevinj Vagifqizi, 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.

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

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 and charged with Article 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code (smuggling committed by a group of persons who colluded in advance). He has not been released to this day.

On March 6, the police raided the office of the independent media organization “Toplum TV”, confiscated the phones of the employees, conducted a search, and at the same time, the employees of the channel were detained.

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 Third Republic platform, 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.

The head of “meclis.info” website Imran Aliyev was detained at Heydar Aliyev International Airport in the evening of April 18. Like other imprisoned journalists, 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. He has not been released yet.

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

Most of the persons who cooperated with those media organizations or were interrogated in this case were banned from leaving the country. According to unofficial estimates, more than 200 people are unable to leave the country and use their bank accounts due to this criminal case.

Local independent journalists and international media organizations call on the authorities to stop the tactics of intimidation against journalists.

Azerbaijani officials always state in their statements that no one in the country is targeted for what they do, what they say, or their political views.