The Institute for Reporters Freedom and Safety strongly condemns the arrest of six journalists associated with the Azerbaijani media outlet Meydan TV and two media workers of the Baku Journalism School, as well as the civic activist and demands their immediate release and dropping of all charges.
On 6 December, the journalists were detained in Baku. The charges brought against them are based on Art 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code (smuggling by a group of persons).
The detained journalists include Aitaj Tapdyg (Akhmedova), Natig Javadly, Aysel Umudova, Aynur Elgunesh, Khayala Aghayeva, the freelance journalist Ramin Deko (Ramin Jabrayilzade) of the Meydan TV; Ulviye Sabirgizi and Ulvi Tahirov of the Baku School of Journalism. Ahmad Mukhtar, who had been arrested along with his colleagues, was released later.
The civic activist Kamran Mammdedli, who protested shootings of stray dogs during COP29 in Baku was detained on the same day and released after a few hours.
“The Azerbaijani state must stop harassing the few remaining independent media voices in the country and blackmail those who have left the country by detaining and prosecuting their family members”, Emin Huseynov, the IRFS co-founder demanded. “The crackdown on the civil society which has been evident in the last three years, has intensified in the run up and following Azerbaijan’s hosting of the COP29 United Nations Climate Change Conference and the international community must urgently take appropriate steps to support journalists in Azerbaijan and in exile”.
Within 12 months, more than 20 journalists were arrested under spurious charges in the country.
The IRFS is closely monitoring the situation and demands that the journalists and their relatives mentioned above should be immediately set free and all charges dropped.