Azerbaijan raids Sputnik office in Baku: Seven detained, criminal investigation launched
Photo: Sputnik employees detained in Baku (Getty Images)
Seven people were detained during the search of the Sputnik office in Baku. The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan has initiated a criminal case, according to Qafqazinfo.
As reported, in Baku, seven employees of the agency Sputnik Azerbaijan (a branch of the Russian state agency Russia Today) became subjects of a criminal case.
Two of them were arrested, and another five were brought to justice.
Law enforcement officers conducted searches in the agency’s office as part of operational and investigative measures.
According to the publication, the case concerns fraud, illegal entrepreneurship, and the legalization of funds obtained through criminal means.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that investigative actions are ongoing; details are not disclosed at this time.
Background
Previously, in the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku, the police conducted searches in the office of the Russian propaganda agency Sputnik-Azerbaijan.
This happened after raids by Russian security forces in Yekaterinburg, where several Azerbaijanis were killed and dozens of people were detained.
In February of this year, the government of Azerbaijan made a decision to suspend the activities of Sputnik as a branch of the Russian agency Russia Today.
This decision was motivated by the need to ensure parity in the work between Azerbaijani state media abroad and foreign journalists working in the country.
In particular, the number of journalists of Sputnik Azerbaijan in Baku was to correspond to the number of employees of the Azerbaijani agency AZERTAC in Russia.
However, the editorial office and staff of Sputnik did not fulfill these requirements and continued working, which became the basis for the law enforcement operation.
