Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty announced on Friday, December 26, that prosecutors from Azerbaijan stormed the office of its Azerbaijani section in Baku on Friday morning. The prosecutors informed the staff that a court order had been issued to seal the office. According to Kenan Aliyev, the head of the Azerbaijani section, at least ten Azerbaijani prosecutors, accompanied by armed officers, entered the office at 10 AM local time and stated that they had a court order to close the office. The prosecutors claimed that the court order was related to an investigation into the Azerbaijani service of Radio Free Europe as an organization receiving funding from abroad. Currently, the office's phone and internet lines have been cut, and the staff have left the premises, but there have been no reports of the arrest of the staff and journalists at the Radio Free Europe office in Baku. Nenad Pejic, the interim president of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, stated in a related announcement that the prosecutors attempted to access the office server and the office of the radio's assistant director. Less than three weeks ago, the Baku prosecutor's office had also arrested Khadija Ismayilova, a journalist for the Azerbaijani section of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Baku. Tom Malinowski, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, had previously told Radio Free Europe that Washington is concerned about the recent crackdown on civil activists and journalists in Azerbaijan. According to Mr. Malinowski, U.S. officials are engaged in 'very serious' discussions with Azerbaijani officials regarding the recent arrests in Azerbaijan. This State Department official specifically mentioned the arrests of Leyla Yunus and her husband Arif, civil activists, as well as Khadija Ismayilova, a journalist for the Azerbaijani section of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Tom Malinowski explained that U.S. officials have told their counterparts in Azerbaijan that Washington's relationship with Baku is at risk due to these crackdowns.
Prosecutors Raid Radio Free Europe Office in Baku
Azerbaijani prosecutors raided the Baku office of Radio Free Europe, claiming a court order to seal it due to an investigation into foreign funding. This incident follows the recent arrest of journalist Khadija Ismayilova and highlights increasing concerns over media freedom and civil rights in Azerbaijan, drawing attention from U.S. officials.
👥 Key Players
⚡ Actions
📰 What Happened
Azerbaijani prosecutors raided Radio Free Europe office in Baku amid crackdown on journalists.
- Azerbaijani prosecutors raid Radio Free Europe office in Baku
- Baku prosecutor's office arrest Khadija Ismayilova
- Tom Malinowski announce U.S. Government, Azerbaijani officials
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The raid signifies a troubling trend of government repression against independent media in Azerbaijan.
📝 Key Evidence
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%