The international media protection organization Reporters Without Borders condemned the refusal of the Azerbaijani authorities to provide the founder of Toplum TV, Alasgar Mammadli, with access to medical care. He had previously been diagnosed with cancer.

Since the end of last year, there have been repressions against independent journalists and activists from Abzas Media in Azerbaijan. They were accused of smuggling foreign currency. Representatives of the press deny the accusations and believe that they are being persecuted for investigating corruption.

Two journalists from the independent Internet television channel Channel 13 and four employees of Toplum TV were also arrested. All of them were accused of currency smuggling.

International human rights and media organizations condemned the Azerbaijani authorities and demanded the release of media workers.

“The government's goal is clear: to isolate civil society and suppress any dissent. President Ilham Aliyev is destroying all forms of pluralism,” Jeanne Cavelier, head of the Eastern Europe and Central Asia department of Reporters Without Borders, previously said. The organization called on Azerbaijan's partners to stop turning a blind eye to the sharp deterioration of the situation with press freedom.