Renewed crackdown hits independent media, NGO and political platform
Over the past week, the Azerbaijani authorities mounted a renewed crackdown - this time targeting independent media outlet Toplum TV, NGO Institute for Democratic Initiatives (IDI) and the recently established political platform The Third Republic. On 6 March, Baku police raided the office premises where Toplum TV and IDI are located. Police detained over a dozen staff members as well as the journalists and interns on the ground. While the rest were released, Toplum TV employees Ali Zeynalov, Farid Ismayilov, Elmir Abbasov and Mushfiq Jabbarov as well as IDI employees Ilkin Amrahov and Ramil Babayev were subjected to criminal prosecution. Their apartments were also searched by police who claimed to have found several thousands of euros in cash in each place. Families of the detainees said the police placed the cash in their apartments during the search. The detainees were charged with illegally bringing money into the country. Following the search, police confiscated all equipment and sealed Toplum TV’s doors - ending 8 years of operation of the news outlet. After the latest attacks in Abzas Media - Toplum TV remained to be the only independent media with an office in Baku.
On 6 March, police also raided the office of a pro-democracy political platform The Third Republic, which was established three months ago (see Issue 110 for more about the platform). Three board members of the organization, Akif Gurbanov, Ruslan Izzatli and Araz Aliyev, were detained and ill-treated at the office. Authorities said police found 30 thousand euros in the office and a few thousand euros at the apartments of Gurbanov and Izzatli. Both were similarly formally accused of money smuggling, while Aliyev was later released. Lawyers were not allowed to accompany the police during the searches.
On 8 March, police also arrested known media expert, and director of Toplum TV, Alasgar Mammadli, on his way to hospital because of an oncologic emergency. A search was also conducted in his apartment and police reported it found 7.2 thousand euros there.
Eventually, Toplum TV workers Alasgar Mammadli, Ali Zeynalov, Mushfiq Jabbarov, IDI employees Ilkin Amrahov, Ramil Babayev, and The Third Republic leading figures Akif Gurbanov and Ruslan Izzatli were sentenced to four-months pretrial detention on 8 and 9 March. Toplum TV journalists Farid Ismayilov and Elmir Abbasov were sentenced to house arrest due to underlying health and family issues. Lawyers said Akif Gurbanov faced violent treatment during his detention.
“They will turn the country into North Korea,” said Toplum TV anchor Alya Yagublu. Editor-in-chief Khadija Ismayilova affirmed that Toplum will continue its work, although she believes there might be more arrests. Meanwhile, Toplum TV’s YouTube page with over 90 thousand subscribers was seized and all the contents were removed. According to commentators, the government is completing the elimination of all independent media and civic actors. The Third Republic statement on 9 March contended that the authorities intended to destroy the resistance of civil society. The statement also noted that, although the money was placed in the offices and apartments by police, still, having foreign currency at home does not constitute a crime and there is no evidence for money smuggling charges.
On 8 March, on the occasion of International Women’s Day, a group of feminist activists held a demonstration in central Baku, also in protest of the recent arrests of female journalists. Police surrounded the central Baku area and did not let others join the demonstration.
In other news, on 5 March, government-linked MP Zahid Oruj called for “neutralization” of exile-based activists for using insulting language in criticism of Aliyev. Oruj suggested that the government should strengthen mechanisms to bring Europe-based activists to account. However, “if the mechanisms of judicial and legal bodies to protect the honor and dignity of the President do not work, then the insult laboratories should be declared open to all kinds of neutralization as legitimate targets,” Oruj added. Legal analysts as well as migrated activists suggested that the MP’s speech constituted a crime for calling for violence.