The Azerbaijani Press Council has issued an appeal to the international community, APA reports.
The appeal reads:
"In recent years, the Russian Federation has been using the media more actively as an instrument of foreign policy influence. Under the guise of information activities, large-scale campaigns aimed at shaping public opinion and destabilizing the political situation in sovereign states are being conducted. Such actions, which constitute interference in the internal affairs of other countries, disrupt the functioning of local public institutions and reduce the level of trust in authorities. This practice is particularly evident in the activities of Russia’s "Sputnik" agency and its employees.
In response to the letter from the Russian Journalists’ Union addressed to international organizations, journalist and human rights defense associations regarding the arrest of employees of the "Sputnik Azerbaijan" agency, we consider it important to present an objective picture of the events to the international community.
Firstly, the letter grossly distorts the facts, clearly indicating an attempt to manipulate international public opinion. Contrary to the statements made in the open letter, the detention of Igor Kartavykh, head of "Sputnik Azerbaijan", and senior editor Yevgeny Belousov has no connection to their professional duties in the field of journalism. It must be specifically emphasized that these individuals were cooperating with the Federal Security Service (FSB) of the Russian Federation and were in Azerbaijan to carry out tasks unrelated to journalistic activity. In this context, their detention is a legal measure carried out fully in accordance with the existing legislation.
To gain a fuller understanding of the situation, we would like to draw attention to one specific fact. "Sputnik Azerbaijan" was previously headed for several years by Vitaly Denisov, a career officer of the Russian special services closely affiliated with the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU). Prior to this, he led "Sputnik South Ossetia" and later "Sputnik Moldova". In these roles, he using the media resources of those regions in the interests of the Russian special services, headed information and propaganda campaigns aimed at promoting the Kremlin's agenda.
Vitaly Denisov was expelled from both Azerbaijan and Moldova for his subversive activities, which once again confirms that tasks far removed from informing the public are often carried out under the guise of journalistic work. This refers to coordinated attempts at influence and interference that pose a threat to the national security of the host countries.
Such working methods of special services using pseudo-media structures like "Sputnik" as a tool are part of a broader hybrid strategy aimed at destabilizing the situation in sovereign states. This has been confirmed in international reports by leading organizations such as the Council of Europe, the European Parliament, EUvsDisinfo, and EDMO. These reports note that "Sputnik" is not merely a news agency but a key instrument in Russia’s disinformation campaign aimed at interfering in the internal political processes of other countries.
In this context, the international community’s reaction to “Sputnik’s” activities is completely natural: the agency’s operations have been officially banned or blocked in 32 countries, including all 27 member states of the European Union, as well as Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Canada, Switzerland, and Australia. It is deeply perplexing that instead of seriously addressing the issues of persecution of journalists and restrictions on freedom of expression within its own country, the Russian Union of Journalists continues to overlook these pressing matters. Numerous arrests and systematic pressure on independent media representatives are at the extreme edge of public-political discourse.
According to international journalist and human rights organizations, more than 50 journalists have been killed in Russia since 1992, underscoring the gravity of the situation. There are strong suspicions that these incidents were related to their professional activities. Furthermore, the detention and imprisonment of at least 26 journalists in the country between 2019 and 2024 clearly demonstrates the ongoing systemic problems in the area of freedom of speech and independent journalism. Reports from international human rights organizations regularly highlight the large-scale decline of independent journalism in Russia, with experts citing figures in the range of approximately 60–70 percent. Similar conclusions are reflected in materials from credible sources, indicating a systemic and deeply rooted tendency toward the suppression of freedom of expression in the country.
Thus, the high-profile murders of well-known journalists such as Yuri Shchekochikhin, Anna Politkovskaya, Pavel Sheremet, Pavel Khlebnikov, and many others still remain unresolved, due to political motives. After the start of Russia’s military campaign against Ukraine, censorship over the media has intensified significantly. Any alternative viewpoints are actively suppressed, and journalists attempting to express their opinions face persecution and imprisonment.
Despite the facts mentioned above, the Russian Union of Journalists, instead of demonstrating the same determination in defending independent journalists facing real risks within their own country, chooses to support individuals suspected of espionage.
In the situation surrounding the detention of employees of "Sputnik Azerbaijan"—which was nothing more than a branch of the Russian FSB—international journalist and human rights organizations should, first and foremost, reflect on the connection between so-called independent journalistic organizations, such as the Russian Union of Journalists, and intelligence services, as well as their transformation into tools of political influence and information manipulation.
We call on international journalist and human rights organizations to respond appropriately to such information sabotage and to firmly condemn the use of media for political purposes.
