2024-02-10 04:17:44
Eamon Gilmore, the special representative of the European Union for human rights, expressed concern about the pressures against the “Abzas Media” news site and called on the Azerbaijani authorities to create conditions for the free activity of journalists.
“I am very worried about the arrest of Azerbaijani journalists Ulvi Hasanli, Sevinj Vagifqizi and Muhammed Kekalov, who cooperated with Abzas Media. We call on Azerbaijan to provide a free and unimpeded space for independent journalism and freedom of expression,” the EU official wrote on page X.
The director of Abzas Media, Ulvi Hasanli, editor-in-chief Sevinj Vagifqizi, and Muhammed Kekalov, who cooperated with the site, were arrested on the charge of “smuggling”, and the Khatai District Court of Baku City sentenced them to 4 months, 3 months 29 days, and 3 months 27, respectively. chose the measure of detention.
Hasanli and Vagifgizi do not accept the accusations, they state that their arrests are related to their professional activities and corruption investigations published in “Abzas Media”. Kekalov also said that he did not commit any crime.
The Reporters Without Borders organization, in its statement released on Saturday, called on the Azerbaijani authorities to immediately release the journalists and warned the international community about the deteriorating situation of press freedom in Azerbaijan.
“In Azerbaijan, instead of the corrupt elite, journalists who expose their mistakes are imprisoned. In the eyes of those in power, the restrictive media law signed by President Ilham Aliyev does not seem to be enough to suppress the rare independent media that exists in the country. Reporters Without Borders warns the international community about the deteriorating situation and calls for the release of Ulvi Hasanli, Sevinj Vagifgizi and Muhammed Kekalov,” said Janna Cavelye, head of Reporters Without Borders’ Eastern Europe and Central Asia bureau.
During the past week, a number of other local and international human rights organizations, the speakers of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) called for an end to the pressure against “Abzas Media”. “Forbidden Stories” international network of investigative journalists announced that “Abzas Media” journalists will continue their corruption investigations from where they left off.
Voice of America