Baku Targets Journalists to Instill Fear and Silence Coverage of the War

During today’s press briefing, Artsakh’s Human Rights Defender Artak Beglaryan addressed the targeting of journalists. Beglaryan reminded that on October 1, a group of journalists in Martuni came under fire from Azerbaijani forces. Four civilians were killed and several others, including journalists, were injured in the very center of Martuni, far from the border.

On October 2, a microbus carrying journalists was targeted and pursued, but fortunately, there were no casualties or injuries reported. On October 8, at the Ghazanchetsots Church in Shushi, three journalists were again injured. Moreover, it is evident that reconnaissance UAVs are typically deployed before targeting journalists, indicating a deliberate process of targeting them.

“I believe one of the reasons for targeting journalists is to instill fear among them so that they do not cover the events, allowing the perpetrators to feel freer in targeting the civilian population,” Beglaryan stated.