On Tuesday (21 July), Germany and Azerbaijan deepened ties through an extensive bilateral partnership as EU countries seek to wean themselves off Russian energy.
The agreement comes after European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen’s visit to Baku three weeks ago, where she declared: “Few countries are as well placed as yours to drive regional cooperation and stability.” She did not mention a single one of the Azerbaijani journalists behind bars.
European politicians are placing their hopes for smooth geopolitical waters in a state controlled by president Ilham Aliyev, the man who, this past February, announced “there is no independent media in the world” at the Munich Security Conference after refusing to answer questions from outlets that weren’t aligned with his government.
Aliyev’s prisons tell a different story.
They harbour at least 25 independent news professionals, according to Reporters Without Borders, most of them prosecuted after exposing corruption involving Azerbaijan’s political elite.
