Journalists from Azerbaijan and Armenia win Free Media Awards

The team of the Azerbaijani website "Meydan TV" and Zaruhi Mejlumyan, a journalist of the Armenian edition "Hetq.am", have been granted the Free Media Awards in the sphere of freedom of speech.

The Azerbaijani Ministry of Communications has filed a claim to the court with a request to close the "Meydan TV" and a number of other editions for materials criticizing the authorities. Lawyers Interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" treat that as an attempt to introduce censorship in Azerbaijan.

The Free Media Awards for achievements in independent journalism are initiated by two foundations supporting freedom of speech and the press, including the Norwegian "Fritt Ord" and the German "Die Zeit-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius".

According to the "Fritt Ord" website, the "Meydan TV" was founded in Berlin in 2003, since the core of his team was compiled of journalists who had to migrate from Azerbaijan because of political persecution and censorship.

Besides, Zaruhi Mejlumyan, who writes for the "Hetq.am", has also been granted the Free Media Award. In particular, her materials deal with the judicial system and human rights violations in Armenia.

"The perseverance of Zaruhi Mejlumyan has repeatedly helped to reopen 'frozen' cases," reports the press release.

Meanwhile, the Free Media Awards have also been granted to representatives of Russia, including caricaturist artist Sergey Elkin and journalist Anton Naumlyuk, who writes for the "Media Zone" and the "Radio Liberty".

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.