Azadliq Radio Baku Bureau Sealed Shut

For years now, Azadliq Radio and its staff have been facing pressure.

Often, radio staff was pressured and attacked by the police, special services and plain-clothed men. Here are some of the incidents over the years.

December 5, 2014, Khadija Ismayilova, was arrested. She was accused of "incitement to suicide" by a man named Tural Mustafayev. December 6, her apartment was searched. Ismayilova is currently in two months pretrial detention. In October a case was opened against her, on slander charges.

Turkhan Karimov was summoned to the prosecutor office also in December.

In May of this year, another journalist, Islam Shikhali was attacked by un-identified plain-clothed men. His camera and phone were confiscated all the while police observed the incident reluctantly. Shikhali was filming an incident in Binagadi district.

In 2012, Khadija Ismayilova was defamed following widely publicized video footage of personal nature.

Yafez Ekremoglu another emloyee was deported to Iran from Nakhchivan in 2011. Later, his family was pressured, intimidated and threatened. His illegaly obtained voice recordings were shared by the state television. Ekremoglu faced armed assault by Nakhchivan residents in 2013 during his stay in Turkey.

Also in 2012 Ulker Akifgizi and Rafig Mammadli, were stopped by the plain-clothed men. They were taken to the police and held there for several hours.

In 2010, Saadet Akifgizi was held for over an hour in Ganja while covering the protest organized by the reigious group.

Nushabe Fatullayeva, another Radio employee faced pressure from the police and unidentified plain-clothed men while covering protests. Her cameras were confiscated and broken.

On several occasions, local staff was summoned to the prosecutor office with no explanations provided. Held there for hours on end and then released. Each time the radio raised a complaint it was left unresponded.

These are not some isolated incidents. These and other similar acts of control mechanisms, raise questions on the legitimacy of government statements in support of existence of freedom of speech, democracy, human rights and a legitimate government in Azerbaijan.