Azerbaijan: Mikroskop Founders Suspect Government Involvement in Ransomware Attack
The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the attack, demands authorities launch a full-fledged investigation into the case
Location: Azerbaijan, Baku
Date: September 16, 2023
Azerbaijani news outlet Mikroskop unexpectedly shut down in what appears to be a ransomware attack. Attackers demand 0.5 bitcoin ($13,000) to unblock the website. The management of Mikroskop suspects possible government involvement in the incident. The Coalition For Women In Journalism strongly condemns the ransomware attack on Mikroskop and urgently calls for a prompt response from the Azerbaijani government.
"It's because of our publications, our general independent media activity, but especially our investigations on the Karabakh conflict and because we never supported the war," Mikroskop co-founder and editor-in-chief Fatima Karimova explains to CFWIJ when asked about the potential involvement of the Azerbaijani government in the ransomware attack.
Mikroskop's team experienced a loss of access to the website's backend on September 16 at noon. Although the hackers demanded pay to unblock the site, Javid Abdullayev, co-founder of the outlet, and Karimova suspect Azerbaijani government involvement in retaliation for its coverage of the Nagorno-Karabakh war.
"In the last year, there have been protests in the Lachin corridor, and as an independent media, we couldn't close our eyes to this issue,” says Karimova. “We covered the protests, and after that, the pressure on us increased."
Mikroskop, founded in exile in early 2018 by Abdullayev and Karimova, has gained recognition for its critical coverage of diverse and contentious topics in Azerbaijan. These include ongoing conflict, human rights concerns, and social and gender issues.
Azerbaijani news websites have not previously experienced ransomware attacks. Abdullayev explains that previously, when an independent news website was hacked, the perpetrators would typically try to delete its archive. In the case of Mikroskop, while the homepage and admin panel are inaccessible, the archive materials can still be accessed through a link.
The Mikroskop team is planning for the possibility of being unable to recover from the attack.
Cyber threats are not uncommon in Azerbaijan. The country has faced criticism for using Pegasus spyware to surveil political figures, media professionals, and civil society activists from Azerbaijan and Armenia. These actions have attracted significant attention and raised concerns about privacy and human rights.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism expresses its unwavering support for Fatima Karimova and the entire team at Mikroskop. We strongly condemn the use of ransomware attacks to target media outlets and impede the crucial work of journalists. We call upon the Azerbaijani government to promptly respond to this incident and investigate the attack comprehensively. It is essential to ensure journalists' safety and protection and uphold press freedom in Azerbaijan.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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