Major Threat to Press Freedom in Azerbaijan, Seven Journalists Jailed for Long Terms
Azerbaijan: A court in Azerbaijan on June 20 convicted seven journalists on multiple charges and sentenced them to prison terms. The court convicted a journalist from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and six others on multiple charges, handing out sentences ranging from seven and a half years to nine years. All seven journalists have rejected the charges as politically motivated, and international rights groups have called for their release.
Farid Mehralizada, a journalist and economist for RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani service, was sentenced to nine years in prison. Ulvi Hasanli, director of Abazas Media, editor-in-chief Sevinc Vaqifqizi, and investigative journalist Hafiz Babali were sentenced to nine years. Abazas Media reporters Nargiz Absalamova and Elnara Gasimova were sentenced to eight years, and the outlet’s deputy director Mahammad Kekelov was sentenced to seven and a half years.
In November 2023, six journalists from Abzas Media were arrested. Authorities claimed they found 40,000 euros in cash at the outlet’s office in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, and charged them with conspiring to bring foreign currency into Azerbaijan.
Reporters Without Borders condemned the convictions as “outrageous” and “the result of a purely political trial based on fabricated charges” aimed at silencing voices exposing corruption and injustice. RSF has called for the immediate release of all journalists from Abzas Media.
An Azerbaijan court has convicted 7 journalists. RFE/RL's Mehralizada, Abazas's director Ulvi Hasanli, editor Sevinj Abbasova, journalist Hafiz Babli were sentenced to 9 yrs. Reporters Nargiz Absalamova & Elnara Gasimova 8 yrs, Dy Director Md Kekelov was sentenced 7.6 years. pic.twitter.com/1i4jRM3f8r
— VOiCE OF MEDIA (@voiceofmedia1) June 20, 2025
RFE/RL President and CEO Stephen Capps alleged that Farid Mehralizada was unjustly detained and demanded her immediate release.
Farid Meharlizada was arrested in May 2024 under the same case, even though both she and Abzas Media said she never worked for the outlet. Later that year, authorities filed additional charges against Mehralizada and journalists from Abzas Media, including illegal entrepreneurship, tax evasion, document forgery, and others.
In his closing statement to the court, Mehralizada said that "the truth is that I have not committed any crime. Independent media is the greatest tool for serving the state, nation and humanity. Unfortunately, journalism in our country today is equated with terrorism."
In his last interview with Abzas Media before his arrest, Farid Mehralizada pointed to the government's failure to raise the minimum wage to the levels targeted in the country's development policy documents. Abzas Media has been a target of the Azerbaijani government due to the media outlet's frequent investigations into large-scale corruption.
