ASIMKOM’s Statement on the Widespread Repression Against Independent Media and Journalists in Azerbaijan

The increasing pressure and arrests of independent journalists and media organizations in Azerbaijan are a matter of serious concern. On February 28, yet another journalist, Fatimə Mövlamlı, was arrested.

Despite repeated calls from international organizations and human rights defenders to stop the persecution of independent and critical media and to release imprisoned journalists as soon as possible, the situation has only worsened instead of improving.

The violent shutdown of independent media outlets such as Toplum TV, Meydan TV, and Abzas Media, along with the mass, politically motivated arrests of journalists, represent the latest and most decisive steps toward the complete eradication of free media in the country.

As a result of this repression, the number of independent media organizations in Azerbaijan has rapidly declined, and there is now virtually no independent media left. This situation demonstrates the catastrophic level of violations of democratic values and human rights in the country, which are being restricted in an irreversible manner.

ASIMKOM calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to immediately end the pressure on independent journalists and media organizations, release all imprisoned journalists, and ensure freedom of expression. We also urge the international community and human rights organizations to take a firmer stance against these unlawful actions in Azerbaijan and to take concrete measures.

ASIMKOM considers the existence of dictatorships and dictators in the 21st century to be one of the most serious problems for the progressive world and regards the cooperation of global democracies with these dictators as a disgrace.