U.S. Criticizes Azerbaijan Again

The U.S. Department of State has published its annual human rights report for 2024, highlighting that there has been no significant improvement in Azerbaijan's human rights situation. The report notes that the government continues to target independent voices, particularly journalists conducting corruption investigations.

The report specifically focuses on the "Abzas Media case," stating that the journalists' arrests were directly related to their professional activities. It mentions that the publication's editor-in-chief, Sevinc Vagifgizi, and director, Ulvi Hasanli, were arrested in November 2023 on "currency smuggling" charges. International observers, however, view these arrests as retaliation for the journalists' corruption investigations into high-ranking officials.

The document includes facts documented by Hasanli regarding systemic rights violations he witnessed in detention. He described instances of prisoners being "beaten with batons, hung from iron bars, and painfully handcuffed," and called the conditions of the pre-trial detention center "degrading and inhumane." The State Department states that after Hasanli's information was made public, he himself was subjected to inhumane treatment.

Sevinc Vagifgizi, according to the report, had her phone communication with her family restricted after speaking about violence against women in prison.

The report emphasizes that while Azerbaijan's constitution and laws guarantee freedom of speech, including for media representatives, and prohibit censorship, the government consistently violates these rights.

The government restricts freedom of expression and media independence, leading to journalists, editors, and independent bloggers facing pressure, threats, and even physical violence, sometimes resulting in imprisonment. Suspicious acts of violence against individuals linked to media outlets operating abroad have also been recorded.

The 2022 "Law on Media" imposes various restrictions on journalists, while media professionals, bloggers, and activists both inside and outside the country, along with their family members, are pressured not to criticize the government.

Observers note that the persecution and imprisonment of individuals deemed political opponents or critics, through the misuse of the judicial system, raise serious concerns about the punishment of dissent.

According to the report, journalists in Azerbaijan are subjected to violence, threats, and persecution by government agencies and individuals acting on their behalf, both online and in person. The police sometimes use force to restrict journalists' and bloggers' activities and suppress press freedom.

Throughout the year, government-owned and pro-government TV and print media outlets dominated the media landscape. Although a limited number of independent and semi-independent online-only media organizations offered a wider diversity of opinions on government policies, most of these sites were blocked within the country, making them inaccessible to local users. The government has tried to silence employees of these media outlets through pressure, arrests, and various forms of persecution.

Local observers report that independent media representatives are also subjected to cyberattacks. Furthermore, media representatives continue to demand an effective investigation into the murder of journalist Elmar Huseynov, who was killed in 2005.

The report states that since November 2023, at least 40 independent journalists and civil society activists have been arrested in Azerbaijan. It includes credible information about physical violence against detained journalists and activists in places of investigation or detention.

International observers believe these arrests are part of a widespread campaign of pressure against independent media and civil society in the country.

The document notes that this pressure is not limited to the media. The arrest of prominent opposition leader Tofig Yagublu on charges of "fraud" and "forgery" is considered unfounded due to a lack of evidence. A criminal case against Ali Karimli, the chairman of the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (APFP), is also believed to be aimed at silencing the political opposition.

The report also documents that the government has extended its repression beyond the country's borders. The murder of political emigrant Vidadi Iskenderov in France on October 2 and the arrest of journalist Afgan Sadigov in Georgia on "intimidation" charges based on an Azerbaijani request are cited as examples. Amnesty International has expressed serious concerns about both incidents.

The document also highlights the persecution of independent trade union activists. Activists from the "Workers' Table" movement, including Afiaddin Mammadov and Elvin Mustafayev, who organized a courier strike, have been arrested.

The report lists serious issues such as "arbitrary killings, torture, and unjustified arrests," and concludes that the "government has not taken credible steps to identify and punish officials who may be complicit in human rights abuses."