Two French journalists accused by Azerbaijan’s government of defamation for calling the country a “dictatorship” appeared for a hearing at a French court Tuesday, in an unusual case that activists call an effort to export censorship. The hearing came as multiple European news organizations published a joint investigation alleging vast money laundering and corruption by Azerbaijan – including allegedly paying off European politicians for favorable treatment. Reporters Without Borders calls the lawsuit “an act of intimidation highlighting the Azerbaijani government’s contempt for free speech. Not content with eradicating all pluralism at home, the regime is now targeting its critics abroad”.
