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The authorities of Azerbaijan are using economic pressure on one of the last independent newspapers in the country in order to completely silence any critic. This is reported in the article published on the website of the international human rights organization Index on Censorship.

According to the article, Azerbaijani oppositional newspaper Azadliq has become the latest victim of this policy.

As Rahim Haciyev, an acting editor of the daily has told the Index on Censorship, the newspaper owes 20,000 manat (about €20,000) to the publishing house.

“We are not able to pay back this sum as we don’t get money for the newspaper sales. Gasid, the state-owned press distribution company, owes us 70,000 manat (about € 67,000), which should be enough to cover our debts and operation costs. However, its general manager is an MP and a member of the ruling party – and they just won’t pay us,” says Rahim Haciyev.

According to him the authorities have tried to stifle them for a long time and “it looks like they have finally succeeded."

“I don’t see them letting us go back to print. The only chance is strong pressure from the West, but I don’t expect this to happen. The Western democracies are now preoccupied with weakening the influence of Russia in the region, so it is unlikely they are going to put too much pressure on its neighbouring countries,” says the editor.

Haciyev has highlighted that at the moment repressions against the civil society and human rights activists are getting tougher and “the last thing they need is a critical newspaper that spreads the word about their clampdown. And we were the last daily that reported on those cases,” says Haciyev.

According to Index on Censorship, Azadliq website is still updated, but nobody knows for how long.

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