Azerbaijan Intensifies Crackdown on Independent Journalists Amid Political Repression

March 15, 2025 – Azerbaijan – 

Since late 2023, Azerbaijan has escalated its campaign against independent journalism, imprisoning more than 20 journalists and media workers, mostly women, on politically motivated charges. This crackdown is widely seen as a deliberate effort by President Ilham Aliyev’s government to silence dissenting voices and control the flow of information.

Many detained journalists work for critical outlets such as Abzas Media, Meydan TV, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL). For example, Sevinj Vagifgizi, editor-in-chief of Abzas Media, faces accusations of “smuggling foreign currency,” which she and her supporters reject as fabricated charges stemming from a politically motivated police raid. Economist and RFE/RL journalist Farid Mehralizada was arrested on similarly dubious charges of smuggling, tax evasion, and forgery in May 2024. Human rights observers view these allegations as baseless and aimed at punishing journalists for their critical reporting.

The repression disproportionately targets women journalists, including Sevinj Vagifgizi, Nargiz Absalamova, and Elnara Gasimova from Abzas Media, and several reporters from Meydan TV like Aynur Elgunash and Aytaj Ahmadova. These women face serious criminal accusations ranging from smuggling to illegal entrepreneurship, which international organizations argue are trumped-up to justify their detention.

Moreover, the Azerbaijani government’s efforts extend beyond its borders. Meydan TV, a Berlin-based independent outlet banned inside Azerbaijan since 2019, has faced intensified harassment, including investigations and arrests of several journalists connected to the outlet. These moves are seen as attempts to dismantle critical voices even in exile.

International human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and Reporters Without Borders, have condemned Azerbaijan’s actions, calling for the immediate release of all imprisoned journalists and an end to the crackdown on press freedom. They urge the global community to apply diplomatic pressure to uphold human rights and protect independent media in Azerbaijan.

This ongoing assault on journalists highlights the authoritarian nature of Azerbaijan’s regime and poses a grave threat to free expression and democratic values in the country.

Reference –

https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/05/16/another-courageous-journalist-jailed-azerbaijan

https://rsf.org/en/news-professionals-wrongly-imprisoned-azerbaijan

https://www.rferl.org/a/azerbaijan-imprisoned-journalists-media/33348089.html