Azerbaijan: Authorities jail 14 over online posts

Event

The Azerbaijani Interior Ministry said on Monday, July 9, that 14 men had been sentenced to jail terms for illegal posts on social networks. The posts in question reportedly discussed a high-profile shooting in Ganja on July 3 and criticized the government over the nationwide power outage on the same day. Jail terms for the men ranged from ten to 30 days.

Context

Opposition supporters claim that President Ilham Aliyev and his government frequently jail journalist, human rights activists, and political opponents on trumped-up charges to silence dissent.

Advice

Individuals in Azerbaijan are advised to monitor developments to the situation, avoid all protests and large public gatherings as a precaution. Avoid discussing sensitive political topics or criticizing the government in public or on social media platforms, and adhere to all instructions issued by the local authorities.