After Azerbaijani journalist Turkhan Karimov was dismissed from his position as a reporter for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s (RFE/RL) Azerbaijani branch Azadliq Radiosu (Free Radio), at least one person was hired who is accused of spreading Azerbaijani regime propaganda,
Blankspot reports.
The new recruit, Mammadsharif Alakhbarov, has worked as a reporter and producer for Azerbaijani regime media for the past 15 years, including the TV channel CVC. There, he has been an editor for films that glorify the war in Nagorno-Karabakh and praise President Ilham Aliyev. On social media, he has consistently supported the dictatorship.
In connection with Karimov’s dismissal, five former journalists published personal accounts on social media describing a highly problematic work environment within the media organization. Especially Azadliq Radiuso’s editor Ilkin Mammadov is pointed out by the journalists as significant in creating a difficult work atmosphere.
The posts reveal allegations against the editors of favoritism and authoritarian leadership style. They also accuse the editorial team of forcing freelance journalists in Baku to rent equipment for their work and of making deductions or providing lower pay if the journalists are stopped or arrested by the police, which is a recurring issue for journalists in Azerbaijan.
Reporters Without Borders blacklist the country in their press freedom index, and reports of journalists being obstructed in their professional practice through police violence are far from uncommon.
Ravan Seyfulla, one of the journalists who worked for RFE/RL and participated in the protest, confirms that the editor threatened to deduct his salary if he continues to face issues with the police.
“We often had problems with the police in our work. Ilkin’s reaction was anything but supportive. Instead of offering help, he sculded me. He insinuated that I was deliberately getting arrested and warned that if such incidents were to recur, I would face a salary deduction”, Ravan Seyfulla tells Blankspot.
According to him, journalists were not informed about the amount of payment they would receive for assignments due to security concerns, but over time, his payment gradually decreased.
“We couldn’t ask about our expected salaries at all, and he (Ilkin) had control over the money for security reasons. Over time, I noticed that my salary was decreasing, and in the end, I received one-fifth, maybe even less, of what my colleagues got”, says Ravan Seyfulla.
The affected journalists have also pointed out that previous attempts to contact RFE/RL’s HR department have been fruitless. Replies have been absent.
The posts have caused a wave of similar stories within the independent Azerbaijani journalists’ community, many of whom live abroad. These stories stretch back in time and shed light on the issues within the editorial team.
Among others, the prominent journalist Arzu Geybulla, in a lengthy post on Medium, has supported the journalists with similar accounts. In the post, she talks about systematic harassment by the editorial team towards journalists and provides detailed information to emphasize that the issue has not been unknown.
She also includes a letter from her addressed to the owners of RFE/RL from 2018, addressing the structural challenges within the editorial team.
