The United States is “deeply troubled” by reports of Azerbaijani police raiding the office of an independent media outlet and arresting multiple independent journalists and civil society activists, said State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller.
On March 6, police raided the office of the online TV channel Toplum and detained about a dozen journalists working there. The Toplum office was later sealed shut. The same day police reportedly detained several members of the Third Republic Platform, whose stated goal is the creation of a decentralized and secular republic based on electoral democracy. Members of the pro-democracy civic organization NIDA were also detained.
Several of the journalists and civil society activists were released around midnight, but others remained in police custody.
Toplum TV’s Chief Editor is well-known investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova, a former bureau chief for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Ismayilova herself has been harassed and imprisoned by the Aliyev regime and falsely charged with crimes because of her reporting on government corruption at the highest levels. Commenting on the raid and the most recent detentions, Ismayilova said, “There is no reasonable explanation for what is happening. It seems [the authorities] want to fully liquidate independent media in the country to leave no platform for critical opinions. We have not been involved in any illegal activities.”
The authorities’ intention to liquidate independent media seems to have intensified in recent months. Since November the Aliyev regime has detained numerous journalists deemed critical of the government and called in others for questioning. Among them was the leadership of Abzas Media, an independent anti-corruption media outlet. Prominent civil society members have also been targeted.
State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said the United States is “deeply troubled” by the latest reported arrests of independent journalists and civil society activists in Azerbaijan.
“We must express our strong objections to continued attempt to intimidate, repress, and punish journalists, civil society voices, and opposition figures,” he said. “We call on Azerbaijan to end the harassment of those exercising their fundamental freedoms and urge the release of all individuals being unjustly held in politically motivated cases.”
“No one,” said Spokesperson Miller “should face incarceration or other retribution for exercising freedom of expression.”
