Azerbaijan accused of crackdown on journalists and opposition ahead of COP29 Azerbaijan is due to host the COP29 in November. The move has been slammed by activists due to the country's poor human rights record. According to Human Rights Watch, 'a crackdown on independent voices over the past year has resulted in the arrest or sentencing of at least 25 independent journalists and civil society activists on a variety of bogus criminal charges'. FRANCE24's Tom Burges Watson speaks to Rachel Denber, deputy director, Europe and Central Asia Division at Human Rights Watch.