Azerbaijan - December 2024

Azerbaijani police detained seven journalists on 8 December on charges of smuggling “illegal money” into the country, bringing the total number of journalists facing similar charges to 22. The arrests mark the first major crackdown on civil society since presidential elections in January 2024 and the COP climate conference in November. Those events, by attracting international attention, were believed to have precipitated previous rounds of arrests, and this latest round indicates the pressure on civil society and closing of the media space is set to become the new status quo. Six of the journalists are affiliated with high-profile independent media outlet Meydan TV. The new arrests, part of a year-long crackdown, were condemned by international right organizations and as with previous cases, the charges are widely believed to be fabricated.

Update: On 20 June, eight journalists from Abzas Media and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Azerbaijani services were sentenced to between 7.5 and 15 years in prison. Academic, essayist and peace activist Bahruz Samadov was also sentenced to 15 years in prison on treason charges on 23 June. These sentences bring the total number of imprisoned journalists and media workers in the country to 21 as of June 2025.

Sources: Eurasianet, International IDEA, Meydan TV, BBC Russian, Committee to Protect Journalists