Reporters without borders calls for immediate release of journalists in Azerbaijan
Six journalists from the independent news outlet were arrested on Friday and placed in pretrial detention on Sunday, 8 December. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns these arbitrary detentions, part of a systematic strategy to silence critics of the regime in Azerbaijan, and calls for their immediate release.
Independent journalist Ramin Deko Jabrailzade was the first to be arrested at Baku airport, upon his return from Georgia, around noon local time on 6 December. Shortly afterwards, five employees of Meydan TV, an Azerbaijani outlet headquartered in Germany, went missing: Aynur Elgunesh Gambarova, Natig Javadli, Khayala Agayeva, Aytaj Tapdig Ahmadova, and Aysel Umudova. Their families later confirmed that they had been arrested.
Two days later, on 8 December, after some of their homes were searched, the six journalists were placed in pretrial detention for four months, accused of "foreign currency smuggling". They face up to eight years in prison on these charges, which their newsroom has vehemently denied in a statement. This indictment has frequently been used as a pretext for judicial harassment since a new wave of repression began in November 2023, targeting journalists from outlets such as Toplum TV and Abzas Media. The trial for Abzas Media is set to begin on 17 December, reads the press release of RSF.
Politics
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On the 35th birthday of Igbal Abilov, a researcher imprisoned in Azerbaijan, his colleagues and supporters organized celebratory actions in various European cities, including Vilnius, Belgrade, Warsaw, and Porto, to raise awareness about his case. The participants of these actions called for the release of Abilov, who has been recognized by human rights defenders as a political prisoner.
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As a result of the preliminary investigation, the charge against Aziz Orujov, director of the internet TV channel Kanal 13, under Article 206.3.2 of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code (smuggling committed by a group of individuals in conspiracy) has been dropped. The case has been sent to court only under Article 188.2 of the Criminal Code (unauthorized construction on land without ownership rights). This was reported to Turan by Orujov's wife, journalist Lamia Orujeva.
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Today, the Baku Serious Crimes Court delivered a verdict in the case of public activist Ilhamiz Guliyev. The court reclassified the charges from Article 234.4.3 (illegal drug trafficking with intent to sell in large quantities) to a lighter charge under Article 234.1-1 (illegal acquisition, possession, manufacturing, processing, or transportation of narcotic substances or psychotropic substances in large quantities without the intent to distribute) of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code and sentenced the activist to three years in prison.
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On December 12, the Union for "Freedom for Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan" published an updated list of political prisoners, which now includes the names of 331 individuals.
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