RWB demands to stop persecuting journalists in Azerbaijan

The organization "Reporters Without Borders" (RWB) condemns the resumption of repressions in Azerbaijan, during which at least 15 bloggers, independent journalists and media workers have been detained recently, says the RWB's statement released on June 22, a copy of which is available at the "Caucasian Knot".

The victims of the new wave of repressions include Fikret Faramazoglu, the head of the Journalistic Investigations Centre (JAM) and the editor of the website "Jam.az", who was sentenced, on June 14, to seven years in prison and a subsequent two-year-long ban on journalistic activities, the RWB has stated.

The RWB has noted that the Azerbaijan also violated the rights of the freelance journalist Nijat Amiraslanov, who was detained on May 22, shortly after his critical publication in social networks against the authorities, and was sentenced to 30 days of administrative arrest.

"Arrests, torture and convictions of trumped-up charges have become common for independent journalists in Azerbaijan, which indicates the authorities' intention to inflict the final blow on the remaining critics in the country," said the statement.

"All the detained journalists should be immediately released. This is especially important, as some of them are tortured and have serious health problems," the RWB has noted.

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