RFE/RL's Baku bureau has been raided by members of the Azerbaijani Prosecutor's Office, who say they have a court decision "to close the office."
Kenan Aliyev, the director of RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service, says at least 10 members of the Prosecutor's Office entered the Baku bureau at 10:30 a.m. local time accompanied by armed police officers.
They are currently holding up to 20 bureau staff members in a single room and have reportedly demanded access to a safe holding bureau documents and personnel files.
Prosecutors say the court order is related to an ongoing investigation of RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service as a foreign-funded entity.
Azerbaijani prosecutors have staged similar raids in recent months on other foreign-funded groups, including the IREX civil society NGO and the National Democratic Institute.
Both those entities were ultimately shut down.
(RFE/RL)
ANN.Az
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