Voters Show Support for Meydan TV at Polling Stations

Photo: Facebook

On January 29, municipal elections are being held in Azerbaijan. According to the Central Election Commission (CEC), 8,071 members are to be elected to 685 municipalities across the country. In total, 16,092 candidates have registered, meaning there are approximately two contenders for each position. There are no international observers at these elections, as the CEC explained that the local nature of the municipal elections is the reason no invitations were extended to them.

On January 29, during Azerbaijan’s municipal elections, voters showed their support for the imprisoned staff of Meydan TV by writing slogans like “Freedom for Meydan TV employees!” and “Long live democracy!” on the ballots at several polling stations.

Photo: Facebook

In protest, voters placed pictures of the imprisoned Meydan TV journalists into the election boxes and shared photos and videos of the ballots and images on their social media accounts. This act symbolized their solidarity with media outlets and journalists covering these issues. However, journalists trying to capture these moments faced obstacles, with some being removed from the polling stations after reports were made about them.

Photo: Facebook

At polling station 26 of the 23rd Nasimi-Sabail Electoral District, independent reporter Nurlan Gahramanli (Libre) was prevented from filming. He explained that polling station officials initially denied him permission to film, citing his press card as expired. However, Gahramanli clarified that this was not true. The officials later threatened to call the police, and when he attempted to leave the polling station, they also prevented him from doing so. Eventually, he was able to leave. While the 23rd Nasimi-Sabail Electoral District denied the claims of pressure, a video released later clearly shows the polling station chairman stopping the reporter from entering and stating that an official report was being drawn up.

In addition to Gahramanli’s experience, many activists wrote “Freedom for Meydan TV!” on the election ballots and shared this on their social media accounts. The video and photo footage shared reveal that similar actions were observed at multiple polling stations. These support actions have highlighted the increasing pressure on media freedom and the ongoing imprisonment of journalists. The journalists who have been detained are not only performing their professional duties but are also advocating for the public’s right to access information.

In recent years, media organizations such as “AbzasMedia,” “Toplum TV,” “Kanal-13,” and Meydan TV have faced repression, with many of their employees being imprisoned. Currently, over 20 journalists are in prison and are recognized as political prisoners by international organizations, while the total number of political prisoners in the country exceeds 300. Today, Meydan TV once again urged the Azerbaijani government to immediately release its unlawfully imprisoned employees and to end the pressures on freedom of expression.

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