HRW Slams Detention Of Azerbaijani Journalists

The New-York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged the Azerbaijani authorities to allow two detained television journalists access to their lawyers and families.

Vuqar Qonaqov and Zaur Quliyev work for Xayal TV, a regional station based in the eastern city of Quba.

They were detained on March 13, kept for a week in pretrial detention, and then transferred to Interior Ministry facilities in Baku.

In a report published on March 28, HRW says it is not clear what they are accused of, and the conditions of their detention appear to violate Azeri and international law.

The report suggests that the detentions could be linked to a video the journalists posted on YouTube that has been linked to the March 1 rioting in Quba.

The video, which shows Quba Mayor Rauf Habibov denouncing residents, has been viewed as a catalyst for the unrest.

Read more in Azeri here