Members of Azerbaijani journalistic communities spoke about the suppression of independent media and the protection of journalists

Chairman of the Union of Journalists of Azerbaijan Elchin Shikhly said that there is no institution left in the country to protect the rights of journalists. According to him, in the country, independent media workers are perceived rather as a harmful element.

“Unfortunately, Azerbaijan has become a country where many journalists are arrested. The possibilities of international structures are quite wide. And they protect these rights here with great care,” said Arif Aliyev, chairman of the Union of Journalists of the New Generation.

The Council of Europe's Platform for the Protection of Journalists sent a request to the Azerbaijani government regarding the Toplum TV case. The list of expected actions includes the release of journalists.

Let us remind you that four Toplum TV employees were accused of currency smuggling. The journalists denied the accusations and said police left the money in their homes. Previously, six employees of the Abzas Media publication, which conducts anti-corruption investigations, as well as two journalists from the independent Internet television Channel 13 were detained.

Последние новости
MMA fighter from Chechnya hospitalized following a brawl involving gunfire in Vladikavkaz
Society
MMA fighter from Chechnya hospitalized following a brawl involving gunfire in Vladikavkaz
18 October 2026

Mixed martial arts fighter Ibragim Islamov, known by the nickname "Nikarkho," sustained a gunshot wound from a non-lethal (traumatic) pistol during an altercation in the center of Vladikavkaz. Two people were injured in the incident, both of whom were hospitalized. The North Ossetia branch of the Russian Interior Ministry has opened a criminal case, and one of the individuals involved has been detained.

Azerbaijan marks 35 years of independence—33 of which have seen the country ruled by a single family
Society
Azerbaijan marks 35 years of independence—33 of which have seen the country ruled by a single family
18 October 2026

On October 18, Azerbaijan celebrates the Day of the Restoration of Independence. It was on this date in 1991 that the republic’s Supreme Soviet adopted a Constitutional Act, formalizing the country’s departure from the Soviet system and the restoration of its state sovereignty.

US Congressman Calls Kobakhidze’s Meeting with Iranian President an “Insult to Trump”
Politics
US Congressman Calls Kobakhidze’s Meeting with Iranian President an “Insult to Trump”
18 October 2026

American Republican Congressman Joe Wilson has criticized Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze for holding talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. The meeting took place in Yerevan on the sidelines of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17).

Drone alert declared across southern Russia this evening
News
Drone alert declared across southern Russia this evening
17 October 2026

On the evening of 17 October, a drone alert was declared again in several districts of Krasnodar Krai. The warning covered Anapa, Gelendzhik, Novorossiysk, Abinsky, Krymsky and Temryuksky districts. Earlier in the day, alerts had also been issued in Sochi, Tuapse municipal district and Mostovsky district.