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.