The Azerbaijani government has ordered the suspension of BBC News' Azerbaijani operation in the capital city, Baku. The BBC said in a statement on Thursday that it had made the "reluctant decision" to close its office in the country after receiving a verbal instruction from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

President Ilham Aliyev has rejected criticism over the arrests of journalists and said Azerbaijan has "a free press and a free internet." The BBC said in a statement that it had made the "reluctant decision" to close its office in the country after receiving a verbal order from the Foreign Ministry.

We deeply regret this restrictive move against press freedom, which will hinder our ability to report to and from Azerbaijan for our audiences inside and outside the country. Each week around 1million people get trusted impartial news from BBC News Azerbaijani.