Azerbaijani authorities have raided and closed the bureau of the US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) in an apparent attempt to silence one of the country's last independent media outlets.

Staff in Baku were reportedly detained and questioned while the premises were searched by police. RFL/RL, which broadcast into Russia and its communist allies during the Cold War and is funded by the US Congress, said investigators and armed police had ransacked a company safe and confiscated documents and official stamps.