TrialWatch report and jailed editor denounce Azerbaijan's crackdown on independent media
Imprisoned editor Aynur Elgunash and a Clooney Foundation report have criticized Azerbaijan's treatment of independent media and legal violations in journalism trials.
Imprisoned Meydan TV editor-in-chief Aynur Elgunash criticized the Azerbaijani government's suppression of independent journalism during an interview with AbzasMedia marking National Press Day. Elgunash, currently serving her second Press Day in detention, stated that the authorities fear free speech and seek complete control over information. Meanwhile, a report published by the Clooney Foundation for Justice's TrialWatch initiative concluded that the prosecution of AbzasMedia journalists violated international fair trial standards. The report characterized the judicial proceedings as an instance of "rule by law" rather than the rule of law, designed to silence critical voices and dismantle independent media in Azerbaijan.
Sources: Meydan TV