BAKU Police in Azerbaijan have detained a dozen journalists working for U.S.-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty amid an ongoing crackdown on the outlet that Washington and rights groups decry.

The Baku offices of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty were sealed on Friday after prosecutors and armed police confiscated equipment and computers during a raid.

The U.S. State Department said it was deeply disturbed by the action, and called on Azerbaijan to respect its international commitment to protecting media freedom.

Ramping up pressure on the organizations Azerbaijan station, Radio Azadliq, police descended upon the homes of its journalists Saturday and took many in for interrogation.

Police have forcibly taken away around 12 of our journalists to undergo questioning in the prosecutors office, the stations director, Kenan Aliyev, told AFP from Radio Free Europe/Radio Libertys headquarters in Prague.

One of them has been forcibly dragged out from his home in front of his children wearing just his pyjamas, he said on Sunday.

He added the heavy crimes unit of the prosecutors office was handling the case, noting even the bureaus cleaner had been summoned for questioning.

Aliyev said the forcible seizure was unnecessary, and apparently aimed at intimidating his journalists.

Whats happening is part of the Azerbaijani authorities ongoing raid of the free press.

A lawyer for the radio station has been stripped of his right to defend the journalists, and must now submit to questioning as a witness himself, said Aliyev.

Read more from the original source:

Detained Radio Liberty journalists questioned in Azerbaijan