Azerbaijani Service
Despite near-total government control over the media, Radio Azadliq has built a reputation as a leading source of independent news in Azerbaijan.
Website page views
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Facebook video views
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Instagram video views
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About the Service
Launched in 1953, RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani Service, known locally as Radio Azadliq, operates from Prague and relies on user-generated content and social media for reporting that audiences trust.
Radio Azadliq was the first broadcaster to report Azerbaijan’s independence in 1991.
The Service is widely cited by international media for investigative, open-source reporting on public corruption, government disinformation campaigns, political prisoners, and electoral fraud.
In coordination with RFE/RL’s Armenian Service, Radio Azadliq provides accurate and timely cross-border reporting on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict with in-depth analysis on the cost of war.
Radio Azadliq’s digital content includes video explainers, data visualization projects, an exclusive court reporting series, and a popular cartoon series offering commentary on issues affecting Azeris, such as price increases of consumer goods.
Despite frequent attacks, Radio Azadliq has a growing social media presence, making use of YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok to tell stories and reach younger audiences.
Reaching Audiences
Media Climate
Reporters Without Borders’ World Press Freedom Index ranks Azerbaijan 164th out of 180 countries.
Radio Azadliq has come under significant pressure as the media situation declines due to new legislative and administrative restrictions.
Radio Azadliq was banned from broadcasting on FM frequencies in 2009, the Baku bureau was raided and shut down in 2014, and the website was blocked in 2017.
Former Bureau Chief Khadija Ismayilova was arrested in 2014 and jailed for 18 months.
Azerbaijani law enforcement is suspected to have targeted Service freelancers with Pegasus spyware in 2021.
In 2022, the government passed a media law requiring online outlets to register and obtain permission before publishing.
Journalist Aytan Mammadova, who has worked as a freelancer for RFE/RL, was physically attacked and threatened at knifepoint in 2022 for covering criminal investigations.
In May 2024, Azerbaijani authorities unjustly detained RFE/RL journalist and economist Farid Mehralizada.
In June 2024, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled the government’s 2017 decision to block access to Radio Azadliq’s website was unlawful.
Latest Updates
RFE/RL’s Belarus Service Ranked #1 in Journalism Standards
RFE/RL’s Radio Svaboda recognized by the Belarus Press Club for outstanding reporting despite challenging media landscape.
RFE/RL Condemns Sham Trial of Azerbaijani Journalist
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) rejects the spurious charges facing Farid Mehralizada and calls on the Azerbaijani government to release him immediately.
RFE/RL Applauds European Rights Court Ruling in Favor of RFE/RL Against Azerbaijani Government
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) welcomes today’s ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
Service Director
Ilkin Mammadov
Ilkin Mammadov is the Service Director of RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani Service, known locally as Radio Azadliq. Having joined RFE/RL in 2004, he has reported on major news events and played a leading role in launching several of the service’s signature programs on radio, TV, and the internet. Previously, he worked for Internews-Network and several local TV stations in Baku. Mammadov holds an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz Graduate School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Baku State University.
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