Azerbaijan’s Facebook fight

April 8th, 2013

In the run up to the presidential elections in October 2013, there have been increased attacks on free expression in Azerbaijan. And social media has become a new target for the country’s authorities, says Idrak Abbasov
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Azerbaijan: dangerous words

November 22nd, 2011

This weekend’s stabbing of Rafiq Tagi is a stark reminder of just how risky it can be to write about politics or religion in Azerbaijan. Emin Milli, who was jailed after criticising the government, describes the dangers of speaking out

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Azerbaijani journalist stabbed

November 20th, 2011

Sanat newspaper editor Rafiq Tagi was stabbed on 19 November in Baku. He was said to be in a stable condition after several hours of surgery. In 2007, Tagi was charged with inciting national, racial and religious enmity after he published an article about Islam’s impact on Azerbaijani development. He was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment and later pardoned by President Aliev. At the time of the uproar over the article, Grand Ayatollah Fazel Lankarani placed a fatwa on Tagi and he received multiple death threats.