On the evening of 6 March, police in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, raided the offices of the Toplum TV channel, its partner organization, the Institute of Democratic Initiatives, and the Platform for the Third Republic, an opposition group, and detained about a dozen journalists and activists and sealed the Toplum TV office premises. Simultaneously, the Toplum TV YouTube channel was hacked, and its content was deleted

Reacting to the news that police raided the offices of the independent Toplum TV in Baku and detained its journalists, Natalia Nozadze, Amnesty International’s South Caucasus Researcher, said:

“This latest crackdown on independent media is a direct assault on the right to freedom of expression and media freedom and a blatant attempt to silence critical voices. The Azerbaijani authorities are targeting, intimidating and harassing independent media outlets and opposition groups, demonstrating a flagrant disregard for human rights and the rule of law.”

“Azerbaijani authorities must immediately end the growing crackdown on human rights and independent media and respect, protect, promote and fulfil the human rights of everyone including the right to freedom of expression and media freedom. Authorities must stop targeting independent media.

“We call on the international community to recognize the urgency and gravity of the situation in Azerbaijan and to put pressure on the authorities to end this crackdown. With the country set to host the climate conference COP29 in November this year, it is imperative that this international spotlight is used to demand respect for human rights.”

With [Azerbaijan] set to host the climate conference COP29 in November this year, it is imperative that this international spotlight is used to demand respect for human rights

Natalia Nozadze, Amnesty International’s South Caucasus Researcher

Background

On the evening of 6 March, police in the Azerbaijani capital, Baku, raided the offices of the Toplum TV channel, its partner organization, the Institute of Democratic Initiatives, and the Platform for the Third Republic, an opposition group, and detained about a dozen journalists and activists and sealed the Toplum TV office premises. Simultaneously, the Toplum TV YouTube channel was hacked, and its content was deleted.

At least four Toplum TV employees and two activists from the Institute of Democratic Initiatives were subsequently accused of “smuggling by prior conspiracy” (Article 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan), according to Toplum TV’s editor-in-chief and former prisoner of conscience, Khadija Ismayilova. They remain in custody.

The crackdown on Toplum TV follows a series of arrests targeting journalists at other independent media outlets, such as Kanal 13 television channel and Abzas Media. Over the years, Amnesty International and other human rights groups have documented the widespread abuse by the Azerbaijani authorities of the criminal justice system to crack down on human rights including the right to freedom of expression, often detaining and falsely charging their critics with economic crimes.