One year after his arrest on May 30, 2024, economist-journalist Farid Mehralizade remains detained on politically charged smuggling and related accusations. While state prosecutors seek up to 12 years in prison and confiscation of his car, Mehralizade spends each day hearing the very propaganda he once exposed\u2014behind iron bars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Background<\/strong> One Year Behind Bars<\/strong> The \u2018Evidence\u2019 and the Absurdity<\/strong> Reactions from Home and Abroad<\/strong> \u201cThe Azerbaijani government has stolen one year of Farid Mehralizade\u2019s life\u2026 he has done nothing illegal and must be released immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Attila Mong of the Committee to Protect Journalists warned U.S. officials:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFarid is one of over 20 journalists currently imprisoned despite no criminal acts\u2026 U.S. representatives should do everything possible to secure his release.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Meanwhile, Judge Hikmet Babayev (New Azerbaijan Party) insisted, \u201cNo one in Azerbaijan is jailed for their profession\u2026 honorable professions aside, before the law we are all equal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Challenging State Propaganda from Prison<\/strong> What\u2019s Next?<\/strong> One year after his arrest on May 30, 2024, economist-journalist Farid Mehralizade remains detained on politically charged smuggling and related accusations. While state prosecutors seek up to 12 years in prison and confiscation of his car, Mehralizade spends each day hearing the very propaganda he once exposed\u2014behind iron bars. BackgroundMehralizade is one of seven defendants […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":30506,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[1047],"class_list":["post-30771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-feed","tag-editor"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irfs.org\/az\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30771","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irfs.org\/az\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irfs.org\/az\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irfs.org\/az\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irfs.org\/az\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30771"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.irfs.org\/az\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30771\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30773,"href":"https:\/\/www.irfs.org\/az\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30771\/revisions\/30773"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irfs.org\/az\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30506"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irfs.org\/az\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irfs.org\/az\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irfs.org\/az\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Mehralizade is one of seven defendants in the \u201cAbzasMedia case,\u201d which targets corruption-investigation outlet AbzasMedia and Radio Azadliq journalists. On May 20, 2025, prosecutor Rauf Malishov demanded 12 years imprisonment for Mehralizade, publication director Ulvi Hasanli, and investigative journalist Hafiz Babaly, plus seizure of Mehralizade\u2019s vehicle. Chief editor Sevinc Vagifgizi, staffer Mahammad Kekalov, and reporters Nargiz Absalamova and Elnara Gasimova face 11 years each on similar charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mehralizade was blindfolded and arrested by security forces on May 30, 2024. He was told, \u201cYour tongue has grown too long,\u201d a reference to his hard-hitting economic analyses that challenged official unemployment and poverty figures. Now aged 30, he has access only to state-run media in prison. \u201cFor 365 days, I have witnessed not justice, but the murder of justice,\u201d he wrote. During his detention, his daughter was born\u2014an absence he poignantly notes alongside the birth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At trial, the sole \u201cproof\u201d against Mehralizade was his travel abroad. No documents, footage, or records of foreign-currency import were presented\u2014only the fact of leaving Azerbaijan. Prosecutor Malishov branded him a smuggler and demanded confiscation of a car Mehralizade purchased legally: \u201cThe vehicle cost $7,800 (\u2248 13,300 AZN), roughly three months of my official income (54,000 AZN in the year before arrest),\u201d Mehralizade explained, calling the demand \u201cabsurd.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stephen Kapus, president of Radio Free Europe\/Radio Liberty, declared:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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Despite restricted media access, Mehralizade dissects government claims. He notes that oil and gas account for 50% of the budget and 90% of exports, leaving the economy fragile\u2014\u201cif energy prices fall, a crisis will ensue,\u201d as in 2015. He questions social-welfare assertions, pointing out high retirement ages, low life expectancy, limited unemployment insurance, and inadequate social minima. \u201cTrue sustainable development requires citizens\u2019 understanding of economic processes and freedom of expression,\u201d he writes from his cell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next hearing is set for June 10, 2025, when defense attorneys will speak. For now, Mehralizade remains a stark symbol of mounting pressure on independent journalists in Azerbaijan\u2014and of the state\u2019s determination to silence critical voices under the guise of criminal law.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"