In Azerbaijan, not the corrupt elite whose crimes are revealed by the press, but journalist are thrown into prison. The new law on the media in order to stifle independent voices seems to the authorities to be insufficient and they are stifling the last independent media in the country, reads the statement of Reporters Without Borders in connection with the arrests of the leadership of the online resource “Abzas Media” and published on the organization's website on November 24.
"RWB warns the international community about the deterioration of the situation and calls for the release of Ulvi Hasanli, Sevinj Vagifgizi and Mohammad Kekalov," the statement said.
"Intimidation and obstruction of the editorial office continues. Two other journalists who collaborated with “Abzas Media,” Sahilya Aslanova and Nargiz Absalamovan, were interrogated as witnesses for more than 3 hours on November 23.
The police changed the locks in the offices, depriving journalists of access to work. Along with this, the Azerbaijani authorities are organizing campaigns to discredit journalists.
Shortly after the arrests of “Abzas Media” journalists, Reporters Without Borders also became the object of absurd and false rumors. These accusations were published by a pro-government agency Report.az and distributed by other propaganda media.
The situation with press freedom is deteriorating in Azerbaijan, where the media law, which came into force in February 2022 in violation of the local Constitution and international treaties ratified by Baku, is aimed at suppressing the latest independent news sites, the statement says.
