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RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service: Radio Azadliq

Despite near-total government control over the media, Radio Azadliq has built a reputation as a leading source of independent news in Azerbaijan.

About

  • Operating from Prague, Radio Azadliq relies on user- generated content and social media for reporting audiences trust.
  • Service was first broadcaster to report Azerbaijan’s independence in 1991.
  • Investigative reporting on public corruption, political prisoners, and electoral fraud widely cited by international media.
  • Provides cross-border reporting on Armenia- Azerbaijani conflict with in-depth analysis.
  • Digital content includes reels, video explainers, data visualization projects and exclusive court reporting series.
  • Produces popular political cartoon series.

Impact

January – December 2022

  • Website: 1.03 million visits; 1.7 million page views
  • Facebook: 81.1 million video views; 12 million engaged users
  • YouTube: 41.8 million views; 720,000 subscribers
  • Instagram: 41.1 million video views; 696,000 followers

Updated: April 2023

Media Climate

  • Radio Azadliq under significant pressure as media situation declines due to new legislative and administrative restrictions.
  • Radio Azadliq banned (2009) from broadcasting on FM frequencies; Baku bureau raided and sealed (2014); and website blocked (2017).
  • Former bureau chief Khadija Ismayilova arrested (2014) and jailed for 18 months.
  • Azerbaijani law enforcement targeted Service freelancers with Pegasus spyware (2021). Journalist Aytan Mammadova was physically attacked and threatened at knifepoint (2022) for covering criminal investigations.
  • Reporters without Borders’ World Press Freedom Index ranks Azerbaijan 154th out of 180 countries.

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