Azerbaijan enters top five European countries for journalist arrests

 
According to the annual report by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Azerbaijan is one of the five European countries with the highest number of arrests of journalists.

The research indicates that in 2024, a total of 516 journalists were detained globally, a significant increase compared to previous years—427 arrests in 2023 and 375 in 2022. China leads the list, with 135 media employees imprisoned. Following China are Israel, where 59 Palestinian journalists are held, and Myanmar, with 44 journalists detained.

There are currently 25 journalists in Azerbaijani prisons, along with another Azerbaijani journalist, Afghan Sadigov, who was arrested in Georgia at Baku’s request. In Europe, Azerbaijan is among the top five countries in terms of the number of journalists imprisoned, alongside Russia, Belarus, and Turkey. In 2024, 122 journalists and media employees were killed worldwide, including 14 women.