Hannah Bardell (United Kingdom, NR), PACE rapporteur on “Threats to life and safety of journalists and human rights defenders in Azerbaijan”, strongly condemns the recent arrests of journalists associated with the independent media outlet Toplum TV and activists of the Institute for Democratic Initiatives (IDI), a group advocating for democracy and free elections in Azerbaijan:
“I was dismayed by the news of Azerbaijani police raiding the offices of Toplum TV, whose editor-in-chief is a well-known journalist and human rights defender, Khadija Ismayilova. Apart from arresting journalists present on the premises, the police also arrested Akif Gurbanov and Ruslan Izzatli – pro-democracy activists from the IDI, as well as Alesker Mammadli, a prominent lawyer.
This worrying development follows last year’s arrests of the founder and Executive Director of Abzas Media – Ulvi Hasanli, seemingly to silence him following his investigative reporting on government corruption, as noted in a joint statement of PACE rapporteurs of 22 November 2023, and several other activists, including Gubad Ibadoghlu and Bakhtiyar Hajiyev.
Recalling PACE decision not to ratify the credentials of the delegation of Azerbaijan during the 2024 January part-session, which also states that the delegation may resume its activities in the Assembly when conditions provided by the Rules of Procedure are met, I call on the Azerbaijani authorities to return to the path of dialogue with the Parliamentary Assembly by immediately releasing the detained journalists and human rights activists.”
