RWB urge Azeri authorities to stop pressing media

The international organization "Reporters Without Borders" (RWB) has demanded from the authorities of Azerbaijan to stop restricting the freedom of the media. The statement has been posted on its official website.

It was caused by the detention in recent days of three journalists, blocking of two leading news websites and adoption of amendments that restrict the operation of mass media.

The statement mentions Afgan Sadygov, the editor of the website "Azel.tv", who was arrested on November 22 in Jalilabad; the journalist's mother says that her son was tortured by the police.

Also, on November 25, they arrested Teimur Kerimov, a journalist of the website "Kanal 13", near the town of Barda, where he studied the water supply problem of refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh. Kerimov was released, but a criminal case was opened against him.

On November 28, Zamin Gadji, an oppositional journalist, was summoned to the Baku Police in the context of his criticism on the Facebook of the authorities for their disability to disclose the resonant murders, including of journalists.

The RWB reminds that fabricated charges of committing attacks are often used to arrest journalists in Azerbaijan.

Besides, on November 29, the Azerbaijani Parliament adopted amendments to the country's Criminal Code, which toughen penalties for libel and insults on the Internet.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.