Azerbaijan: Police Prevent Sevinj Sadigova From Filming At Court
The Coalition For Women In Journalism calls on authorities to respect press freedom. Journalists have the right to record in public spaces.
Location: Azerbaijan, Ganja
Date: May 25, 2023
Azerbaijani journalist Sevinj Sadigova was obstructed by police and told to stop filming outside Ganja’s courthouse. The country, renowned for its contempt for free press, has repeatedly abused its security apparatus to silence critical voices. The Coalition For Women In Journalism demands the state stops harassing journalists and calls on the police to respect press freedom.
On May 25, Sevinj Sadigova was reporting on the trial of Osman Rzayev — founder of the news website Demokratik.az, who is falsely charged with extortion — outside the courthouse when she was told by police and court employees to stop filming.
Sadigova was shooting b-roll after concluding an interview when police and the court officer approached her. The journalist believes they intervened to prevent her from capturing the luxury car of a court official on film.
“I objected, pointing out that I was recording a car in a public place," Sadigova says, after which the officer became more aggressive and hit her hand away.
In February 2022, the reporter and fellow journalist Fatime Mvlami were beaten while in police custody. The journalists were covering protests when they were shoved by police officers and forcibly transferred to a police station, where they were physically and verbally assaulted.
According to RSF, in the last 20 years, no police officer in Azerbaijan has been sanctioned for assaulting or insulting a journalist.
Azerbaijan’s continued oppression of journalists
The Azerbaijani government has been criticized for its crackdown on independent media, censorship, and use of restrictive laws to silence dissenting voices.
Journalists in the country face oppressive conditions and are often forced to align with the state’s narrative to avoid reprisals from authorities. Press workers who refuse to be pressured or blackmailed by the state are often imprisoned on absurd charges.
Authorities arrested journalist Osman Rzayev in 2022. He has been classified as a political prisoner by human rights groups. His supporters believe he was targeted for critical reporting on corruption involving Azerbaijani officials. Rzayev’s trial has been repeatedly delayed, and his family has voiced concern over his health while in prison.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism stands in solidarity with Sevinj Sadigova and her continued efforts to report news despite the aggression she has faced. We call on police to respect press workers and allow them to report without harassment.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.