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. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
One of them has been forcibly dragged out from his home in front of his children wearing just his pyjamas, he said on Sunday. <\/p>\n
He added the heavy crimes unit of the prosecutors office was handling the case, noting even the bureaus cleaner had been summoned for questioning. <\/p>\n
Aliyev said the forcible seizure was unnecessary, and apparently aimed at intimidating his journalists. <\/p>\n
Whats happening is part of the Azerbaijani authorities ongoing raid of the free press. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
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Detained Radio Liberty journalists questioned in Azerbaijan<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 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. Continue reading