The Co-Chairs of the Media Working Group of the European Parliament, MEPs David Casa and Ramona Strugariu, strongly condemn the targeting of journalists by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, who in a speech threatened journalists, bloggers, and activists critical of his authoritarian regime, European People's Party Group (EPP) reports. The speech was reported to the Council of Europe’s Safety of Journalists Platform.
The discourse was flagged by Mahammad Mirzali, a blogger with a substantial following who covers topics including corruption linked to the Azerbaijani ruling family. “Azerbaijan has been implicated in European energy scandals and faces widespread corruption allegations domestically”, EPP reminds.
Mirzali, along with others, fled Aliyev’s regime but was still subject to an assassination attempt in France. “The Media Working Group Co-Chairs emphasise their support for all journalists and reiterate their call for Azerbaijan to abide by its international obligations. It is imperative that Europe be a safe continent for all those exercising their freedom of expression”, the EPP statement concluded.
