Russian journalists’ arrest in Baku doesn’t meet established norms

The arrest of Russian journalists in Baku is entirely inconsistent with the generally accepted norms and spirit of bilateral relations, Russian Presidential Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said during a press briefing.

“This concerns specifically the journalists. And, of course, such measures against media representatives are completely incompatible with the generally accepted rules, norms, and spirit of Russian-Azerbaijani relations,” Peskov noted.

On June 30, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs announced that law enforcement agencies were conducting operations at the office of the news agency Sputnik Azerbaijan. Later, the ministry reported the arrest of several individuals at the agency’s office, including the media outlet’s director, Igor Kartavikh, and editor-in-chief, Yevgeny Belousov.

The Sputnik editorial office stated that they have not received any official restrictions on working in Azerbaijan and that dialogue is underway at the level of working groups to resolve any disagreements.