Elena Patyaeva—a friend of Seda Suleymanova, who disappeared three years ago after being forcibly returned from St. Petersburg to Chechnya—was detained in Grozny. On August 23, Patyaeva stood by the monument to journalists who died for freedom of speech, holding a sign that read: "I demand an investigation into the murder of Seda Suleymanova." This was reported by the human rights project "Slovo Zashchite" (Word for the Defense).
The Sabail District Court of Baku extended the arrest of the head of the Azerbaijani Internet television Kanal-13 Aziz Orujov until March 27. He repeated that he considers the charges fabricated and connects them with his journalistic activities.
Aziz Orujov was detained in November 2023. He was accused of illegal housing construction and currency smuggling.
Since the end of last year, there have been repressions against independent journalists and activists in Azerbaijan. Director of the online publication Abzas Media Ulvi Hasanli, editor-in-chief Sevinj Vagifgyzy, journalist of the publication Nargiz Absalamova, as well as activist Mohammed Kekalov, who collaborated with Abzas Media, were arrested. They were accused of smuggling foreign currency.