Persecuted journalists win protection from Europe’s human rights court

The European Court of Human Rights ruled that Turkey violated journalist Müyesser Uğur's free expression rights by detaining her for five months over an article naming a military commander during Libya operations, and that Azerbaijan violated editor Anar Mammadov's rights with a suspended prison sentence and property seizures over his coverage of a 2018 shooting.

The court found most of the cited articles against Uğur disclosed no state secrets, and that Turkish courts never weighed security concerns against the reporting's public value. In Mammadov's case, the court found no incitement to violence and ruled the seizure of his phone, laptop and documents unlawful.

Both countries have three months to seek Grand Chamber review before the judgments and modest payments, 7,500 euros and 6,000 euros respectively, become final. Press freedom groups describe near-total state media control in both countries and link the cases to broader crackdowns, including ongoing arrests of journalists in Azerbaijan since 2023.

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