5 journalists were arrested in 10 days
In the past 10 days, Azerbaijan has witnessed the arrest of five journalists, marking a concerning trend in the country's approach to media freedom. On November 20, Ulvi Hasanli, the director of AbzasMedia, and his assistant, Mohammad Kekalov, were apprehended, followed by the detention of the editor-in-chief Sevinj Vagifgizy on the 21st. Subsequently, each of them faced charges related to smuggling, resulting in a court-imposed four-month preventive arrest.
On November 27, Aziz Orujev, the executive director of Internet television Channel 13, became the latest journalist to be detained. He faces a criminal case under Article 188.2 of the Criminal Code, related to unauthorized construction or installation work on a land plot without ownership, use, or lease. A court decision sentenced him to three months of pre-trial detention.
The most recent incident involves Nargiz Absalamova, another employee of AbzasMedia, who was detained yesterday, reportedly charged with smuggling.
Human rights activist Rufat Safarov expressed his concerns about these developments on the "Difficult Question" program, comparing the situation in Azerbaijan to that of Turkmenistan. Safarov highlighted a heightened level of repressiveness, with an increase in political prisoners, reaching 254 since 2003.
According to Safarov, the ruling circles in Azerbaijan seem to have declared a war on citizens' rights and freedoms, targeting journalists, human rights defenders, civil society representatives, and economists. He attributed this crackdown to the strained relations with the West, resulting in the unjust pressure on innocent citizens, particularly those educated in Western countries who are now portrayed as spies in the media and social networks.
Safarov emphasized that the authorities are implementing more stringent measures to exert control over society, describing the current situation as a "witch hunt," characteristic of states prioritizing strict authoritarian rule. He noted that such regimes often resort to far-fetched accusations and alleged assassination attempts as part of their tactics.
Difficult question
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According to the Electoral Code, the term of municipal authorities in Azerbaijan is five years and expires on December 23 of this year. Voting should be announced by the Central Election Commission (CEC) 60 days before the elections. However, although only 52 days remain until the election date, the CEC has not issued any statements.
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In recent days, several criminal cases have been initiated regarding some businesses engaged in foreign economic activities that have not returned funds in the appropriate currency to Azerbaijan. Reports indicate that several officials have faced criminal charges due to substantial evidence of agreements between domestic legal entities and foreign companies, with large sums of revenue generated from these activities not being returned to authorized bank accounts in Azerbaijan.
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After the parliamentary elections held in Georgia on October 26, President Salome Zourabichvili and opposition parties stated that the elections were rigged and did not recognize the results. The President called on the people to gather in front of parliament on October 28.
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On October 24, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan met during the 16th BRICS Summit held in Kazan, Russia.
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