Freedom House urges democratic governments to hold Aliyev regime accountable for repression against journalists

“The crackdown on Azerbaijani broadcaster Toplum TV is the Aliyev regime’s latest unacceptable attack on critical, independent voices in the country. The 10+ employees reportedly detained today join the dozens of other media workers in Azerbaijan targeted for their reporting. We will continue to closely monitor the Aliyev regime’s campaign against civil society, activists, and independent media, and we urge democratic governments to hold the regime accountable for this wave of repression,” the organization said in a post on X.

On Wednesday, March 6, Azerbaijani police raided the offices of the online television station Toplum TV amidst a widespread crackdown on the few remaining media outlets still operating in Azerbaijan that do not take a pro-government line.

According to OC Media, the police surrounded the building and two of the site’s journalists, Elmir Abbasov and Araz Aliyev were detained. Other journalists were also reportedly taken away by police.