Members of Azerbaijani journalistic communities spoke about the suppression of independent media and the protection of journalists

Chairman of the Union of Journalists of Azerbaijan Elchin Shikhly said that there is no institution left in the country to protect the rights of journalists. According to him, in the country, independent media workers are perceived rather as a harmful element.

“Unfortunately, Azerbaijan has become a country where many journalists are arrested. The possibilities of international structures are quite wide. And they protect these rights here with great care,” said Arif Aliyev, chairman of the Union of Journalists of the New Generation.

The Council of Europe's Platform for the Protection of Journalists sent a request to the Azerbaijani government regarding the Toplum TV case. The list of expected actions includes the release of journalists.

Let us remind you that four Toplum TV employees were accused of currency smuggling. The journalists denied the accusations and said police left the money in their homes. Previously, six employees of the Abzas Media publication, which conducts anti-corruption investigations, as well as two journalists from the independent Internet television Channel 13 were detained.

Последние новости
Pashinyan Warns of the “Beginning of the End” for the EAEU
Politics
Pashinyan Warns of the “Beginning of the End” for the EAEU
29 July 2026

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has warned that Russia’s restrictions on Armenian exports are calling into question the future of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), saying the dispute could mark “the beginning of the end” for the Moscow-led bloc if it is not resolved soon.

Nauru becomes the third country to withdraw recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia
Politics
Nauru becomes the third country to withdraw recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia
29 July 2026

The Pacific island nation of Nauru has severed diplomatic relations with the self-proclaimed entities of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, effectively revoking its earlier recognition of their "independence." The Georgian Foreign Ministry announced the move.

Imam in Georgia Beaten After Speaking Turkish
Society
Imam in Georgia Beaten After Speaking Turkish
29 July 2026

An attack on the family of a Meskhetian Muslim in the southern Georgian town of Akhaltsikhe has raised questions about the police response. The victims say more than ten men assaulted the local mosque’s imam, Shevket Dvalidze, but only two suspects were detained and later released on bail. Human rights groups are calling for investigators to examine whether the attack was motivated by ethnic, linguistic and religious hatred.

Reporters Without Borders Calls Sentences Against Azerbaijani Journalists Politically Motivated
Human rights
Reporters Without Borders Calls Sentences Against Azerbaijani Journalists Politically Motivated
29 July 2026

The international organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned the sentences handed down to staff members of the Azerbaijani YouTube channel Toplum TV, describing them as further evidence of the persecution of independent journalists in the country.