Azadliq Radio Baku Bureau Sealed Shut

Commissioner for Human Rights Muiznieks says the raid "unacceptable"

"It is with dismay that I see the office of the Baku bureau of RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service raided by the police. This unacceptable event adds to the many cases of repression of dissenting voices which have occured in the near past in Azerbaijan and illustrated the seriousness of the challenges that journalists, human rights defenders and others expressing critical opinions face there. I urge the authorities to stop once and for all their crackdown on freedom of expression and media freedom and to do good on their human rights protection obligations."

Senator Ben Cardin condemns raid on RFE/RL Baku Bureau

Ben Cardin, the Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, issued the following statement:

"The free and independent press in Azerbaijan remains under attack by the very authorities who should not be most committed to its protection. Yesterday's raid on RFE/RL's Baku bureau continues the recent and deeply disturbing trend of the government of Azerbaijan to silence dissenting voices within the country, and comes hard on the heels of the recent arrest and pre-trial detention of Khadijya Ismayilova, an investigative journalist and contributor to RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service."