The police of Azerbaijan have directly approached the homes of each member of the Azerbaijan service office of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Baku and transferred them to the prosecutor's office for interrogation. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty issued a statement indicating that this incident occurred on Saturday evening, January 6. According to one of the journalists' lawyers, the Baku police used 'force and threats' to transfer at least four journalists to the prosecutor's office. At least eight other journalists have been informed that they will go for interrogation on Monday. The legal team of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty stated that the new actions by the prosecutor's office and Baku police are 'unprecedented even by the standards of Azerbaijan.' The report emphasized that 'by taking journalists to the prosecutor's office over the weekend, they were effectively deprived of the opportunity to have legal defense from their lawyers. Meanwhile, under Azerbaijani law, a suspect must be summoned to the prosecutor's office by phone or legal summons to have the right to bring a lawyer.' Nenad Pejic, the president and editor-in-chief of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, criticized the Azerbaijani government, stating that it is 'intimidating our employees and their families.' The statement from the radio noted that even the cleaning lady of the Azerbaijan service office in Baku faced police officers at her home. On January 5, officers from the prosecutor's office and police raided the Azerbaijan service office of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, announcing that a court order had been issued to seal the office. In response, the United States expressed concern over reports of the 'attack' on the Azerbaijan service office of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Baku. An unnamed U.S. State Department official stated, 'We are concerned about reports of the attack on the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty office in Baku, the imprisonment of journalists in the office, their interrogation, and the search of the office by police.' Less than three weeks ago, after Azerbaijani prosecutor's office agents detained Khadija Ismayilova, a journalist for the Azerbaijani service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Baku, the U.S. had stated that crackdowns in this country jeopardized Washington's relations with Baku. The budget for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and its various services is funded by the U.S. Congress.
Interrogation of Journalists from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Baku
The Azerbaijani police have interrogated journalists from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, using force to transfer them to the prosecutor's office, raising concerns about press freedom. The U.S. has expressed worry over these actions, which threaten the relationship between Washington and Baku. This incident highlights the increasing repression of media in Azerbaijan.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Azerbaijani police interrogated journalists from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, using force to take them to the prosecutor's office, raising serious concerns about press freedom in the country.
- At least four journalists were forcibly taken for interrogation, with threats reported.
- The Azerbaijani government has sealed the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty office in Baku.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Azerbaijan has a history of suppressing press freedom, and recent actions against journalists signal an escalation in government crackdowns.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%