2024-02-09 18:00:42
“I was horrified by the news about the degrading treatment of some recently arrested journalists in Azerbaijan, especially the young women who were handcuffed, put in glass cages or deprived of their basic human needs in the courtroom.” ” he said on his platform.
“Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect,” he wrote on his X platform account.
Journalists Ulvi Hasanli, Sevinj Vagifqizi and Hafiz Babali, Mahammad Kekalov, Nargiz Absalamova were arrested in November-December 2023, and Elnara Gasimova was arrested on January 13 on charges of foreign currency smuggling in the case of Abzas Media Internet publication. They deny the accusations and associate their persecution with journalistic investigations into the corruption of high-ranking officials of the Azerbaijani authorities.
Aziz Orujov, head of “Kanal 13” internet television, was detained on November 27. The Sabail District Court of Baku City chose a three-month preventive measure against him.
Aziz, who is charged under articles 188.2 (violating the right to ownership, use or lease of land, carrying out arbitrary construction or installation works on a plot of land without a lease right) and 206.3.2 (smuggling by a group of persons who colluded in advance) of the Criminal Code Orujov denies the accusations and says that his arrest was aimed at restricting journalistic activities.
“Kanal 13” employee Rufat Muradli was sentenced to 30 days of administrative detention on December 7.
Access to “Channel 13” was restricted by a court decision on December 11.
“Channel 13” internet television has been broadcasting since November 10, 2008. This television has 1,590,000 subscribers on its YouTube channel. Television posted more than 37,000 videos on its YouTube channel.
10 journalists were recently arrested in Azerbaijan. Almost all of them are accused of smuggling. Journalists do not accept the accusation and state that their activities are limited.
Amnesty International, the European Federation of Journalists and a number of other local and international human rights organizations, the special representative of the European Union on human rights, as well as the rapporteurs of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) called on the Azerbaijani authorities to stop the pressure on the independent media and release the arrested journalists.
The representatives of the Azerbaijani authorities have so far rejected similar criticisms of international organizations and called the position of these organizations biased. Official institutions report that no one is oppressed due to their political beliefs in the country, and citizens are punished for specific crimes.
Voice of America