{"id":30814,"date":"2025-06-11T19:24:25","date_gmt":"2025-06-11T19:24:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.irfs.org\/?p=30814"},"modified":"2025-06-11T19:24:25","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T19:24:25","slug":"legal-harassment-of-independent-journalists-latest-in-azerbaijans-abzasmedia-case","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.irfs.org\/az\/news-feed\/legal-harassment-of-independent-journalists-latest-in-azerbaijans-abzasmedia-case\/","title":{"rendered":"Legal Harassment of Independent Journalists: Latest in Azerbaijan\u2019s AbzasMedia Case"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On June 10, defense lawyers for seven journalists detained in connection with the AbzasMedia<\/em> corruption\u2010investigation outlet presented their closing arguments before Judge Rasim Sad\u0131xov at the Baku Serious Crimes Court. They united in denouncing the sprawling indictment\u2014running 27 volumes\u2014as entirely fabricated, pointing to the complete absence of credible evidence. The trial was adjourned until June 20, when most defendants will deliver their final statements and the court may move toward a verdict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Origins of the Case<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

November 20, 2023: Azerbaijan\u2019s authorities launch a criminal investigation into AbzasMedia<\/em>, a publication famed for probing official corruption. That day, director Ulvi Hasanli and coordinator Mahammad Kekalov are arrested; searches of their homes and the outlet\u2019s office reportedly turn up \u20ac40,000, which Hasanli later asserts was planted by investigators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the following days, editor-in-chief Sevinc Vagifgizi, reporters Nargiz Absalamova and Elnara Gasimova, and investigative journalist Hafiz Babal\u0131 are detained. In May 2024, Radio Azadliq journalist and economist Farid Mehralizade is also arrested and\u2014despite AbzasMedia<\/em>\u2019s denial of any affiliation with him\u2014sworn in as a defendant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Charges & Potential Penalties<\/strong>
The seven face multiple counts under the Criminal Code, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Smuggling by an organized group (Arts. 206.3.2, 206.4)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Illegal entrepreneurship by an organized group (Art. 192.3.2)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Money laundering of large sums (Arts. 193-1.3.1, 193-1.3.2)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tax evasion by an organized group (Art. 213.2.1)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forgery and use of forged documents (Arts. 320.1, 320.2)
Conviction could bring sentences of 8\u201312 years<\/strong> in prison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

June 10 Proceedings: Defense Arguments<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

All defense counsel repeated the same core contentions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No Credible Evidence whatsoever<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNot a single witness statement, piece of material evidence, or legal document exists against my client,\u201d declared Cavad Cavadov, representing Farid Mehralizade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The indictment\u201427 volumes in total\u2014rests entirely on one testimony, that of Mahammad Kekalov, who in court has retracted his investigative statement, saying he gave it under threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arbitrary Arrests<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kekalov\u2019s lawyers emphasized: although the case is built on his testimony, Ulvi Hasanli was arrested before<\/strong> Kekalov himself was detained or questioned. \u201cHow could they base Hasanli\u2019s arrest on a statement that did not yet exist?\u201d they demanded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Absence of Smuggled Goods or Illicit Assets<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite initial smuggling charges, none of the defendants was caught with contraband at any border crossing. Nor was any illegal property found on their persons or in their homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planting of Cash and Documents<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The defense insists that the \u20ac40,000 and purportedly \u201cforged\u201d documents seized in the AbzasMedia<\/em> office were fabricated by the authorities to bolster a baseless case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Absurdity of Financial-crime Charges<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCrimes of personal gain imply assets\u2014houses, cars, property\u2014yet none of these individuals owns either,\u201d the lawyers pointed out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And even if AbzasMedia<\/em> had received grants, that would only amount to an administrative violation, not a crime. Moreover, \u201cmedia outlets are educational institutions, not commercial enterprises\u2014so what illegal entrepreneurship?\u201d they asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

No Link to AbzasMedia<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mehralizade\u2019s sole \u201cevidence\u201d of involvement: traveling at the same time as some AbzasMedia<\/em> staff and using the Signal app. Cavadov quipped, \u201cWith such logic, you could charge anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Family Tragedy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lawyer described Mehralizade\u2019s arrest as \u201ca personal drama\u201d: detained just as he was preparing to become a father, an act he called \u201cunforgivable from the standpoint of family values and basic humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Only Hafiz Babal\u0131<\/strong>\u2014economics editor at the Turan Information Agency\u2014delivered his final words on June 10: likening the Kurdakhani detention center to \u201cAzerbaijan\u2019s Bastille,\u201d he lamented, \u201cPrisons have become places where the country\u2019s valuable people are held hostage.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Babal\u0131 also noted he\u2019s been banned from travel since 2019, making currency-smuggling charges in this case nonsensical: \u201cI haven\u2019t left the country in six years\u2014how could I be a smuggler?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The remaining defendants will deliver their closing remarks on June 20<\/strong>, after which the court is expected to issue its verdict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Rights Groups<\/strong>
Local and international NGOs label the arrests \u201cpolitically motivated,\u201d asserting they aim to punish journalists for anti-corruption reporting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diplomatic Pressure<\/strong>
The U.S. State Department and several Western diplomats in Baku have publicly called for the journalists\u2019 release and the dismissal of all charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Government Position<\/strong>
Azerbaijani officials insist no political motivation exists behind the prosecutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

With the next hearing scheduled for June 20, the AbzasMedia<\/em> trial epitomizes the mounting legal pressure on independent journalists in Azerbaijan. A verdict imposing lengthy prison terms would not only seal the fate of seven reporters but could chill investigative journalism nationwide, undermining free expression and the fight against corruption.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On June 10, defense lawyers for seven journalists detained in connection with the AbzasMedia corruption\u2010investigation outlet presented their closing arguments before Judge Rasim Sad\u0131xov at the Baku Serious Crimes Court. They united in denouncing the sprawling indictment\u2014running 27 volumes\u2014as entirely fabricated, pointing to the complete absence of credible evidence. The trial was adjourned until June […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":30583,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[1047],"class_list":["post-30814","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\/30814","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=30814"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.irfs.org\/az\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30814\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30815,"href":"https:\/\/www.irfs.org\/az\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30814\/revisions\/30815"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irfs.org\/az\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30583"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.irfs.org\/az\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30814"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irfs.org\/az\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30814"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.irfs.org\/az\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30814"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}