As Azerbaijan strengthens ties with Europe, critics are jailed

International human rights organizations have reacted with outrage to the sentencing of nine journalists from the independent Azerbaijani media outlet Toplum TV. A court handed down sentences ranging from 11 to 15 years for alleged financial crimes, charges the journalists deny. Reporters Without Borders has labeled the proceedings a "sham trial," and their lawyers have announced an appeal. Human Rights Watch has urged the international community to condemn the verdicts.

Toplum TV, established in 2016 and broadcasting via YouTube, is known for its critical reporting and investigations into corruption within President Ilham Aliyev's government. The outlet's editor-in-chief, Khadija Ismayilova, previously served a prison sentence for tax evasion, released after significant international pressure. The European Court of Human Rights previously ruled that her prosecution was intended to punish her journalistic work.

Azerbaijani author and human rights defender Zohrab Ismayilov described the trial as "fabricated" and designed to silence and punish journalists. Having faced legal action himself in Azerbaijan for reporting on sensitive topics, he now lives in exile and leads the Open Azerbaijan Initiative, which combats corruption and advocates for democracy. Ismayilov believes the current repression in Azerbaijan is directly linked to the country's recent military success in the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh and suggests that this victory has emboldened the regime.

This crackdown on Toplum TV follows similar convictions of journalists from another independent media outlet, Abzas Media, in 2023. Meanwhile, as Aliyev faces criticism from human rights groups, the European Union is rapidly strengthening its ties with Azerbaijan, particularly through energy deals signed in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The EU's engagement with Azerbaijan has intensified since the country signed a peace agreement with Armenia earlier this year, ending decades of territorial disputes.