In Azerbaijan the legal pressure on journalists from the independent investigative outlet Abzas Media (https://abzas.org/) continues to intensify. Abzas Media is an independent media outlet in Azerbaijan, founded in 2016 It is focused on news and investigative reporting.
On 19 August 2024, four journalists, general manager and co-founder Ulvi Hasanli (Ülvi Həsənli,) editor-in-chief Sevinj Vagifgizi (Sevinc Vaqifqızı), reporter Elnara Gasimova (Elnarə Qasımova), and investigative journalist Hafiz Babaly (Hafiz Babalı) were hit with new charges. These charges carry potential prison sentences of up to 12 years, increasing the maximum penalty from the previous 8 years.
Earlier, charges were brought against Deputy Director Mahammad Kekalov (Məhəmməd Kəkalov), journalist Nargiz Absalamova (Nərgiz Absalamova), and economist Farid Mehralizadeh (Nərgiz Absalamova), who is unrelated to Abzas Media. Absalamova was detained multiple times while covering demonstrations in her country.
The new charges include “currency smuggling by an organized group,” “forgery and use of forged documents,” “illegal entrepreneurship resulting in large-scale income,” “money laundering by an organized group,” and “group tax evasion,” according to their lawyers. The journalists refused to sign the indictments, maintaining their innocence and alleging that they are being persecuted for their work uncovering corruption among high-ranking officials.
The investigation into Abzas Media began in November 2023 when police arrested several members of company. During a search of the outlet’s office, authorities claimed to have discovered 40,000 EUR, which led to charges of currency smuggling. Additional arrests followed.
While the charges initially focused on currency smuggling, authorities have now expanded the case to include a broader array of economic crimes.
The journalists have denied all accusations, insisting that they are being targeted for their investigative reporting, which has exposed corruption at the highest levels of the Azerbaijani government. International media freedom organizations have called on Azerbaijani authorities to drop the charges and release the journalists, highlighting concerns about the continued suppression of independent media in the country.
Human rights defenders and international observers have recognized those arrested in the Abzas Media case as political prisoners, further emphasizing the need for the immediate release of these journalists and the cessation of legal harassment against independent media outlets in Azerbaijan. Despite the escalating legal threats, Abzas Media’s journalists remain resolute in their commitment to exposing corruption and holding those in power accountable.
The South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is alarmed about the legal cases and will be closely monitoring the ongoing case against Abzas Media journalists in Azerbaijan. SEEMO calls on Azerbaijani authorities to respect press freedom and ensure that journalists can carry out their duties without fear of persecution.
South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) is a regional non-governmental, non profit network of editors, media executives and leading journalists in Southeast, South, East and Central Europe. SEEMO members are in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova (with the territory of Transdnestria), Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Türkiye / Turkey, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Austria, Italy, Vatican and San Marino have a special status in SEEMO. SEEMO has over 3000 individual members, and additional media as corporate members.
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