Azerbaijan ranks among top 5 European countries for journalist arrests

Azerbaijan is one of the five European countries with the highest number of journalists being arrested, according to the annual report by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). The research indicates that in 2024, a total of 516 journalists were detained worldwide, marking a significant increase compared to previous years—427 arrests in 2023 and 375 in 2022. China continues to be the largest jailer of journalists, with 135 media employees imprisoned. Following China are Israel, where 59 Palestinian journalists are held, and Myanmar, with 44 media employees detained.

Currently, there are 25 journalists in Azerbaijani prisons, along with another Azerbaijani journalist, Afghan Sadigov, who was arrested in Georgia at Baku’s request. In the Eurasian region, Azerbaijan ranks alongside Russia (38), Belarus (30), Ukraine (28), and Turkey (20) in terms of the number of journalists imprisoned, placing it in the top five. In 2024, 122 journalists and media employees were killed globally, including 14 women. The IFJ described the previous year as one of the deadliest for journalists. According to the report, 77 journalists were killed in the Middle East and the Arab world. In Africa, 10 media employees lost their lives, while nine were killed in the U.S. and four in Europe. The IFJ reiterated the urgent need for the adoption of a U.N. international convention on the protection of journalists.