6 journalists arrested on smuggling charges in Azerbaijan

Authorities in Azerbaijan have detained six journalists on smuggling charges. The independent Azerbaijani news outlet Meydan TV, whose website has been blocked in Azerbaijan since 2019, says five of the journalists are its employees. It described a sixth person as an independent reporter. Meydan TV, which is headquartered in Berlin, has complained of harassment by the Azerbaijani government. It refuted the charges against its employees and said that most of the detained journalists had had their homes searched and equipment and personal belongings seized.