Anar Mamedov's case marks new wave of pressure on Azerbaijani media
The case of Anar Mamedov, the editor-in-chief of the "criminal.az (criminalaz.com)" website, indicates that the authorities have stopped looking for far-fetched reasons for persecuting independent media outlets, and decided to openly persecute them for specific publications, the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS) has stated.
The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Mr Mamedov was accused of public appeals against the state, abuse of power and forgery. Two prosecution witnesses have stated that publication on the site had driven them into stress.
The Mamedov's case should be viewed in the context of pressure on the freedom of speech, said Emin Guseinov, the IRFS Director, has stated.
"The website is being prosecuted for covering socially important issues. The assassination attempt on the head of Ganja caused a resonance; people were interested in the reasons, while the authorities failed to give any distinct information," Mr Guseinov has explained.
Mustafa Gadjibeili, the editor-in-chief of the "bastainfo.com", and Nureddin Ismailov, the editor-in-chief of the "teref.az", were subjected to similar persecutions.
Anar Mamedov is sure that he is prosecuted for his journalistic activities. He said that the "criminal.az" has published materials on corruption and violation of citizens' rights, noting that he was repeatedly called to the prosecutor's office and warned.
This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on February 8, 2019 at 11:59 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.
Source: CK correspondent