# Police raided Toplum TV and detained journalists and activists

Date: 2024

On 6 March 2024, Azerbaijani police raided the offices of independent outlet Toplum TV and detained journalists and activists. Human Rights Watch said at least six people were detained and described the operation as part of a new wave of arrests targeting independent media and civil society. Amnesty International likewise characterized the raid as part of a campaign of intimidation against independent media. The contribution assigned to [Ilham Aliyev](/people/ilham-aliyev) is indirect because law-enforcement bodies carried out the raid under his government; the sources do not establish that he personally planned the operation. The raid directly obstructed an independent newsroom and also targeted activists linked to the outlet and civic organizations, weakening [media freedom](/drivers/media-freedom) and [civic space](/drivers/civic-space).

## People

- Ilham Aliyev: https://factrail.ai/people/ilham-aliyev

## Drivers

- Media Freedom: https://factrail.ai/drivers/media-freedom
- Civic Space: https://factrail.ai/drivers/civic-space

## Sources

- https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/03/azerbaijan-campaign-of-intimidation-against-independent-media-continues-with-raid-on-toplum-tv/
- https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/03/07/new-wave-arrests-targets-journalists-and-activists-azerbaijan

## Methodology

https://factrail.ai/methodology

Canonical: https://factrail.ai/facts/az-toplum-tv-raid-2024