Azerbaijan - November 2023

Azerbaijani police arrested seven journalists in late November and early December, prompting outcries from international rights watchdogs and media about the worst crackdown on media freedom in years. Five journalists from the investigative media outlet Abzas Media are being held in pre-trial detention on charges of smuggling foreign currency into the country. The police claim to have found 40,000 USD in cash in Abzas Media’s offices during a raid on 20 November, and pro-government media have repeatedly accused the arrested of being spies of the United States government without providing evidence. Abzas Media and experts say the charges are retaliation for the outlet’s investigations into corruption and public officials. The founders of the online television channels Kanal 11 and Kanal 13 have also been arrested on unrelated charges that observers consider trumped-up.

Sources: Eurasianet, OC Media (1), OC Media (2), Committee to Protect Journalists