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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On December 18, the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, gave an interview to several Russian media outlets. In this interview, Aliyev discussed the significant influence of Western countries on processes in Georgia, highlighting the activities of thousands of non-governmental organizations in the country funded from abroad. The president also reacted to news coverage about Azerbaijan in Western media.
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The 2025 state budget, changes to the Tax Code, the minimum living standard for the upcoming year, need criteria, and the draft budget of Azerbaijan's State Social Protection Fund (SSPF) for 2025 were analyzed by economist and chairman of the REAL Party, Natig Jafarli, on the program “Difficult Question.”
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The recent arrests in Azerbaijan, processes related to the state of human rights in the country, and the reactions of international organizations and the West were discussed on the program "Difficult Question" by Jamil Hasanli, Chairman of the National Council of Democratic Forces.
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The recent arrests, the state of human rights in the country, and the reactions of international organizations and the West to what is happening in Azerbaijan were discussed in the program "Complex Question" by Samira Gasimli, a political psychologist and the wife of political scientist Azer Gasimli, director of the Institute of Political Management.
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