Azerbaijan Intensifies Crackdown on Independent Media Amidst Unprecedented Arrests

February 5, 2025 – Azerbaijan –

Azerbaijan’s government has escalated its repression of independent journalism, with the International Press Institute (IPI) condemning the recent arrests of two journalists, Shamshad Aghayev and Ahmad Mammadli, as part of a broader campaign to silence critical media voices. These detentions bring the total number of journalists arrested in Azerbaijan to at least 25 since late 2023, marking an unprecedented crackdown on press freedom in the country.

Aghayev, editor of the independent outlet Argument, was detained in February 2025 and charged with “smuggling of foreign currency” under Article 206.3.2 of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code. Similarly, Mammadli, a journalist with Abzas Media, was arrested in May 2025 on the same charges. Both journalists have denied the allegations, asserting that their arrests are politically motivated and linked to their investigative reporting on corruption and human rights issues.

The IPI has expressed grave concern over the escalating repression, stating that the Azerbaijani authorities are “systematically dismantling independent journalism” through arbitrary arrests, harassment, and legal persecution. The organization has called for the immediate release of all detained journalists and an end to the politically motivated charges against them.

This crackdown is part of a broader pattern of suppression targeting independent media outlets such as Abzas Media, Toplum TV, and Meydan TV, which have faced raids, equipment seizures, and the arrest of their staff. International human rights organizations, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), have condemned these actions as violations of press freedom and human rights.

The international community has urged Azerbaijan to uphold its commitments to press freedom and human rights, emphasizing the importance of a free and independent media in a democratic society. The continued repression of journalists in Azerbaijan raises serious concerns about the state of press freedom and the rule of law in the country.

Reference –

https://ipi.media/azerbaijan-ipi-condemns-spiraling-oppression-following-arrests-of-two-journalists/