Since November 2023, six employees of Abzas Media—a Baku‑based outlet renowned for its corruption investigations—along with two allied journalists, have been held on charges ranging from smuggling and illegal entrepreneurship to document forgery. arrested were:
- Ulvi Hasanli, director
- Muhammad Kekalov, deputy director
- Sevinc Vaqifqizi, chief editor
- Nargiz Absalamova and Elnara Qasimova, reporters
- Hafiz Babali, investigative journalist
- Farid Mehralizade, radio journalist (May 2024)
Originally detained for alleged smuggling, the charges were intensified in August 2024. Human rights groups both inside and outside Azerbaijan have called the case politically motivated and demanded the journalists’ release.
June 10 Court Session: Key Defense Arguments
Lack of Evidence & “Organized Group” Charge
Lawyer Bahruz Bayramov, defending Elnara Qasimova, emphasized that across 27 volumes of investigative files there is “not a single piece of evidence … proving the defendants were members of an organized group.” He noted that under the Supreme Court’s 2016 Plenum decision, criminal liability for carrying undeclared cash applies only if customs officials actually catch a prohibited sum at the border—yet “none of the accused were caught with a prohibited amount” on crossing.
“Prior to her January 13, 2024 arrest, there was no proof anywhere that my client committed these crimes. The only reason she was detained was her continuing work as a journalist.”
— Bahruz Bayramov
Procedural Violations & Coerced Testimony
Lawyer Rovshana Rahimli, speaking for Nargiz Absalamova, detailed extensive procedural flaws:
Evidence seized under duress. Though police “allegedly” obtained computers and phones voluntarily, defendants testified they faced physical and psychological pressure—claims the court ignored.
Key witness retractions. Muhammad Kekalov, initially a star prosecution witness, recanted in open court: his pretrial statements—given while under police control without a proper defense—“did not correspond to the truth,” Rahimli stressed. Under Azerbaijani law, only statements made freely before a chosen lawyer count as valid.
Lack of original documents. All documents are mere photographs of unknown origin; no originals have been produced.
“Evidence obtained illegally, especially under pressure, cannot have evidentiary value and should be considered inadmissible.”
— Rovshana Rahimli
Rahimli pointed out that the prosecution even recycled template language from other cases—misstating dates and grouping unrelated journalists together—underscoring the sham nature of the proceedings.
Politicized Definitions & Press Freedom
Both lawyers attacked the government’s broad application of criminal concepts:
“Organized group” abuse. Constitutional Court guidelines require a premeditated agreement, defined roles, and a concerted plan. Yet investigators offer no concrete assignments or proof of coordination beyond the journalists’ editorial meetings.
Entrepreneurship vs. grant-funded journalism. Absalamova reported that Abzas Media operated on foreign grants—non‑commercial by nature. Failure to register a grant, at worst an administrative offense, does not equate to illegal business or tax evasion.
Taken together, the defense painted a portrait of state-directed legal harassment: every charge—from smuggling to forgery—rests on either political orders or hollow procedural pretense rather than fact.
After June 10’s performances, most defendants reserved their final remarks for the June 20 hearing. Only Hafiz Babali delivered closing words that day. With six months behind bars already, the journalists await the court’s ruling—though their lawyers admit they expect little justice.
As the Abzas Media trials continue, they symbolize a wider assault on press freedom in Azerbaijan. The coming weeks will test whether the judiciary can uphold rule‑of‑law principles—or if it will remain a conduit for political persecution.