Eurasianet: Criminal prosecution of independent journalists highlights worsening US-Azerbaijani relations

Watchdog groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), are condemning the prosecution of seven independent journalists in Azerbaijan, characterizing the charges against them as “retaliatory” for reporting that strives to hold President Ilham Aliyev’s administration accountable for its actions, Eurasianet writes.

The apparent political nature of the proceedings suggests that convictions are a foregone conclusion.

“Most of the journalists, who hail from some of Azerbaijan’s most prominent independent media, have been arrested on similar currency smuggling charges related to alleged Western funding, amid a decline in relations between Azerbaijan and the West,” CPJ stated.

On Dec. 9, Abzas Media’s editor-in-chief, Sevinj Vagifgizi, was recognized as an Anti-Corruption Champion by US State of Secretary Antony Blinken for “her dedication to exposing high-level corruption in Azerbaijan.”

Aliyev fired back at critics on December 18, defending the legitimacy of the financing-related charges. In doing so, however, he appeared to confirm the political motivation for the crackdown.

“Azerbaijani media cannot be financed even by 1 percent from any foreign source,” Aliyev said, noting that through their undercover resources media outlets, funded from abroad, “smear our people and country day and night, and cast a shadow over our victory.”

As noted, the presiding judges in the case were biased. The trial was not open to the press, and family members of the defendants complained that authorities packed the courtroom in advance with hand-picked individuals so as to prevent independent observers from attending the proceedings.