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.