Emin Milli
Emin Milli is an Azerbaijani human rights defender, journalist and founder of Meydan TV, an alternative television channel he founded in 2013 to provide independent reporting on news and human rights issues from Azerbaijan. In December 2014, the Baku office of Meydan TV was closed due to increasing security concerns, and its operations transferred to Berlin, from where Emin Milli currently carries out his human rights work. Prior to and during the European Games, Meydan TV reported on corruption, mass media restrictions and the ongoing crackdown on civil society in Azerbaijan.
The space for human rights defenders (HRDs) and NGOs has been steadily shrinking in Azerbaijan. A number of legislative amendments have been adopted in recent years that restrict the work of HRDs and put their activities under strict governmental control. The roundup of the most prominent HRDs and their subsequent trials and imprisonment indicate that Azerbaijan is well on the road towards authoritarianism, seemingly adopting a Russian-style contempt of civil society.
