Committee to Protect Journalists calls for Ulvi Hasanli's release

Baku/21.11.23/Turan: Azerbaijani authorities should release "Abzas Media" director Ulvi Hasanli and allow the country's independent media to operate freely, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said.

"The raid on the office of "Abzas Media", one of the few Azerbaijani media outlets that still dares to investigate official corruption, and the arrest of its director, Ulvi Hasanli, is revenge for the media outlet's groundbreaking journalism," said CPJ's communications director, Gypsy Guillen Kaiser.

"Azerbaijani authorities must immediately release Hasanli and stop harassing "Abzas Media", she added.

It may be recalled that "Abzas Media" is one of the few independent media outlets in Azerbaijan that has survived after a series of raids, arrests, and criminal investigations against independent media outlets and press freedom groups since 2014.

CPJ sent an email request to the Baku Police Department, the Interior Ministry, and the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration for comment, but received no response.-16B06-