Arrests in Azerbaijan – AbzasMedia case
Once again, an Azerbaijani court has kept the defendants in the “Abzas Media case” under arrest. The requests of the lawyers Sevinj Vagifgizi, Ulvi Hasanli, and Imran Aliyev to change their pre-trial detention to house arrest were not granted. The day before, the US Ambassador met with the relatives of the detained individuals, but the meeting seemed to have no impact.
Sevinj Vagifgizi outside the courthouse. Photo by Ulviya Ali
In the Khatai District Court of Baku on May 9, separate requests for transfer to house arrest were considered for the director of the independent online outlet Abzas Media, Ulvi Gasanli, the chief editor Sevinj Vagifgizi, and the head of the online platform Meclis.info, Imran Aliyev. The court did not grant the requests, keeping the journalists in custody.
The day before, the same court did not grant the request for house arrest for the well-known election rights activist Anar Mammadli.
According to the lawyers of the detainees, there are no material or procedural grounds for keeping the journalists and the human rights activist in custody, and they are arrested on political grounds.
“Unfortunately, the court did not consider our arguments and left the motion unfulfilled,” said Elmar Suleymanov, lawyer for Anar Mammadli.
The court decisions will be appealed in the appellate instance.
Eight figures in the “Abzas Media case
From November 2023 to January 2024, six employees of the Abzas Media portal, known for its journalistic investigations into the corruption activities of high-ranking officials and their family members, were arrested. They include the director of the outlet Ulvi Hasanli, his deputy Mahammad Kekalov, chief editor Sevinj Vagifgizi, reporters Nargiz Absalamova and Elnara Gasimova, and investigative journalist Hafiz Babali.
In April, as part of the so-called “Abzas Media case,” the head of the Meclis.info website, Imran Aliyev, and the head of the Election Monitoring and Democracy Training Center, Anar Mammadli, were also arrested, despite having no connection to the Abzas Media.
All defendants in the case have been charged with “smuggling foreign currency by prior conspiracy.”
Human rights activists have recognized the detainees as political prisoners. Several international organizations have called on the Azerbaijani authorities to immediately release the journalists and civil society representatives and to cease all persecution against them.
On May 8, members of the National Preventive Group at the Azerbaijani Ombudsman’s Office visited a group of journalists and activists, including those involved in the “Abzas Media case,” at the Baku Detention Center-1. The Ombudsman’s office press service reported this.
The group, which included a doctor, held meetings with the founder of Toplum TV, Alesker Mammadli, a member of the board of the political platform III Republic, Ruslan Izzetli, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Khural,” Avaz Zeynalov, employees of Abzas Media Ulvi Hasanli, Sevinj Vagifgizi, Nargiz Absalamova, Elnara Gasimova, Hafiz Babali, the editor-in-chief of meclis.info, Imran Aliyev, and the head of the YouTube channel Kanal-11, Teymur Kerimov.
“The discussions were of a confidential nature. The Ombudsman’s representatives investigated the conditions of detention and the health status of the detainees, and listened to their appeals,” the press release concludes.
The day before, the US Ambassador met with the relatives of the detained individuals
On May 7, US Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Mark Libby, met with the family members of the detained journalists and civil society activists. According to the embassy’s statement, Libby emphasized the importance of releasing the detainees.
“The United States is convinced that an independent and active civil society is an integral part of a responsible society, and the detainees should be released to continue their important work,” the ambassador stated.
The meeting was attended by Nigar Hazi, daughter of opposition politician Tofig Yagublu; Ophelia Mammadova, mother of journalist Sevinj Vagifgizi; Gunel Manafli, spouse of the board member of the Platform III Republic, Ruslan Izzetli.
