Reporters without Borders - Situation in Azerbaijan Deteriorated

The human rights organization Reporters without Borders has published a new list of the enemies of the press on November 2.

In this list there are 35 heads of state and government, political and criminal groups such as Islamic State, the Yemeni Huthis, the Islamic groups close to Al-Qaeda in Bangladesh, the Afghan Taliban and the Mexican drug cartel Los Zetas.

Among the heads of state there are the Presidents of Eritrea, Sudan, Burundi, Gambia, Syria and Cuba, the leaders of China, North Korea, Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.

Among the new members of the list there are the Presidents of Turkey, Egypt, Burundi and Venezuela.

Over the past year, the worst changes in the situation have occurred in Turkey, where a massive wave of repression continues and at least 130 journalists are in jail and at least 140 media have been closed. The authorities practically control the country's entire media space.

Regarding Azerbaijan, the report informed the police and security forces continue to use all means to persecute government critics. For this purpose, they use blackmail, including secret video of the personal life of journalists in their flats, charges with tax evasion, drug addiction and hooliganism.

At the same time, the authorities economically stifle independent media such as the newspapers Zerkalo and Azadlig and force the closure of the Azerbaijani service of Radio Liberty.

Since last year, the authorities have been using new methods related to the prosecution of relatives of journalists granted asylum abroad.

Currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan are 8 journalists and bloggers, and dozens of media representatives are hiding from persecution abroad.

Compared to 2015, Azerbaijan has dropped in the world press freedom ranking from the 162nd position to the 163rd.

The list includes 180 countries. The most free press is in Finland and the Netherlands, and the most unfree is in Eritrea and North Korea.

Georgia is at the 64th place, while Armenia is at the 74th place in terms of press freedom. -02D-