Abzas Media Journalists Report Inhumane Treatment in Pre-Trial Detention

Journalists from Abzas Media who were arrested have reported inhumane treatment after declaring a hunger strike. This action was taken in solidarity with their colleague, Ulvi Hasanli, who refused food due to alleged violations of his rights by Azerbaijan's Penitentiary Service.

Ulvi Hasanli, director of Abzas Media, began his hunger strike on July 20 to protest his transfer from Baku Pre-Trial Detention Center No. 1 to the penitentiary complex in Umbaky. Hasanli is dissatisfied with the conditions at the Umbaky prison complex, where he is unable to see his family, including his three-year-old child.

On July 22, Sevinj Vagifgyzy, editor-in-chief, along with reporters Elnara Gasymova and Nargiz Absalamova, joined Hasanli's protest at Baku Pre-Trial Detention Center No. 1, as confirmed by their colleagues. They officially notified the facility's administration of their action. The journalists demanded Hasanli's return to Baku Pre-Trial Detention Center No. 1.

However, the following day, the journalists were removed from their cells and individually placed in solitary rooms lacking showers, with sealed windows and no ventilation, according to the source. Furthermore, Absalamova was allegedly subjected to violence by Deputy Chief Ahad Abdiyev when she refused to leave her cell. "Ahad Abdiyev tried to forcibly push her out of the room. Nargiz had bruises and marks from sharp objects on her arms," the source stated.

The journalists believe this inhumane treatment was orchestrated to force them to end their hunger strike. "But they declared that they would not stop the hunger strike until Ulvi Hasanli is returned to the detention center," the source emphasized.

Five employees of the online publication Abzas Media—including director Ulvi Hasanli, editor-in-chief Sevinj Vagifgyzy, translator Mohammed Kekalov, reporters Nargiz Absalamova and Elnara Gasymova—along with Hafiz Babaly, head of the economic department at Turan news agency and an investigative journalist, were arrested between November 2023 and January 2024 on charges of currency smuggling. Following the preliminary investigation in August 2024, they were further charged under six additional articles of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan. They have denied all accusations, stating that they are being persecuted for their journalistic investigations.

On June 20, 2025, a court sentenced the journalists and staff of the Azerbaijani online publication Abzas Media to lengthy prison terms. Ulvi Hasanli, Sevinj Vagifgyzy, investigative journalist Hafiz Babaly, and economist Farid Mehralizade each received 9 years of imprisonment. Nargiz Absalamova and Elnara Gasymova were sentenced to 8 years each, and Mohammed Kekalov to 7 years.

The Abzas Media case marked the beginning of a series of arrests of independent media journalists in Azerbaijan, starting in November 2023. Several criminal cases have been initiated under similar circumstances, including the collective arrests of employees from independent online resources such as Toplum TV and Meydan TV.