Russian journalists detained in Azerbaijan, BRICS org. urges UN action
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The BRICS Journalists Association urges the UN to condemn Azerbaijan's arrest of Sputnik reporters and ensure their immediate release amid press freedom concerns.
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A police patrol in central Baku, Azerbaijan, in 2019 (Wikimedia Commons)
The BRICS Journalists Association has formally appealed to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, calling on the UN to condemn the recent detention of Russian journalists in Azerbaijan and to take urgent action for their immediate release.
The appeal follows a Monday raid by Azerbaijani police on the office of Sputnik Azerbaijan in Baku, during which seven staff members were detained, including the outlet’s editorial director, Igor Kartavykh, and editor-in-chief Yevgeny Belousov. The arrests were reportedly made without substantiated charges.
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In a letter signed by Ivan Melnikov, head of the BRICS Journalists Association’s department for the protection of journalists’ rights, the organization expressed grave concern over the violations of journalists’ rights and of Russian citizens’ freedoms. The letter described the arrests as an assault on press freedom and civil liberties, urging Guterres to take decisive action.
Melnikov criticized the use of force in the arrests and cited international legal frameworks, such as the Geneva Convention, the Declaration on the Media and Human Rights, and the Convention Against Torture, as being violated by the Azerbaijani authorities. He further demanded that the detained journalists be released without delay, and that their rights as professionals and individuals be respected and restored.
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The Russian state-run media group Rossiya Segodnya, which owns Sputnik, described the detentions as politically charged and without merit. It said the Baku office was unlawfully obstructed from fulfilling its journalistic work, and that both consular officials and family members have been denied access to the detainees. The group also raised alarm about Kartavykh’s health condition, stressing he needs regular insulin.
Dmitry Kiselev, CEO of Rossiya Segodnya, condemned the arrests as an attempt to intentionally strain Russian-Azerbaijani relations, calling the situation “unfair” and professionally damaging. The organization has demanded that Azerbaijani authorities comply with the law and release the journalists immediately.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova noted that Baku had never raised concerns about Sputnik Azerbaijan prior to the raid, suggesting an ulterior motive behind the sudden crackdown. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that Moscow was monitoring the situation closely and would pursue the journalists' release through diplomatic channels.
Responding to the developments, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told RIA Novosti on Tuesday that the UN hopes journalistic freedom in Azerbaijan would be upheld amid the controversy surrounding Sputnik's operations in the country.
