Arrests may continue - H.Ismail

The arrests may continue, editor-in-chief of "Toplum TV" Khadija Ismayilova told Turan, commenting on the detentions of the founder of this media platform Alesker Mammadli and activist Ruslan Izzetli on 8 March.

She emphasised that searches and detentions were carried out both in "Toplum TV" and the Institute for Democratic Initiatives.

 From "Toplum TV", Farid Ismayilov, Mushvig Jabbar, Elmir Abbasov and Alesker Mammadli were detained.  (On 8 March the court arrested Jabbar for 4 months, Ismayilov and Abbasov were released under police supervision, Mammadli is in suspect status).

From the Institute for Democratic Initiatives, Ali Zeynal (who also conducted video trainings on "Toplum TV"), Akif Gurbanov, Ilkin Amrakhov, Ramil Babayev and Ruslan Izzetli were detained.

Ismayilova believes the arrests could continue.

"This is a recurring pattern. Since 2013, the repressive waves have continued. But, there are differences from the arrests of 2014. Back then, during the events around "Radio Azadliq", only I was arrested. Others were left alone. Now everyone has been arrested, but I've been left alone," Ismayilova continued.

To her thinking, the purpose of the arrests is to prevent media channels, whether it is "Abzas Media" or "Toplum TV", from restoring their activities.

"So that there will be no free media in the country. This seems to me to be an absolute illogical policy. We, in spite of the repressive environment, wanted to do normal journalism as if we were living in a normal country. But, by its actions the government makes us realise that 'don't fall into illusions, this is not a state of law, this is not a normal country, there can be no free media here'," Ismayilova noted.