Abzas Media staff in Azerbaijan face extended detention, editor reports mistreatment
Abzas Media: extended detention, mistreatment
On June 12, the pre-trial detention of Abzas Media’s director, Ulvi Gasanli, and chief editor of the newspaper, Sevinj Vagifgyzy (Abbasova), was extended for another three months in Azerbaijan. Meanwhile, Vagifgyzy reports instances of harsh treatment and violence in the investigative isolation.
Gasanli and Vagifgyzy have been under arrest since November 20, 2023. Since that day and until January 13, 2024, four more employees of this popular publication were arrested: Deputy Director Muhammad Kekalov, reporters Nargiz Absalamova and Elnar Gasymov, and investigative journalist Hafiz Babaly.
They are accused of smuggling in conspiracy with a group of people, facing imprisonment from five to eight years. Currently, they are held in pre-trial detention as per the court’s decision. All arrested employees of the publication vehemently deny the charges and link their arrests to corruption investigations published by Abzas Media. Many local and international organizations have recognized those detained in this case as political prisoners and have urged the authorities to immediately release the journalists.
Fakhraddin Mekhtiyev, the lawyer of Ulvi Gasanli, told journalists that he would file an appeal against this decision of the Khatai District Court.
Sevinj Vagifgyzy informed the court that she was prohibited from speaking with her family over the phone because she exposed the harsh treatment and violence against other detained women in the investigative isolation unit.
Sevinj Vagifgyzy, the chief editor, demanded that the Human Rights Ombudsman of Azerbaijan visit the detention center.
“If you don’t stay quiet, we’ll drag you by your hair”
On June 7, during a phone call with her family, Sevinj Vagifgyzy reported that several women held in Baku Detention Center No. 1 were unjustifiably placed in solitary confinement and threatened. The journalist herself is detained in this facility.
When she informed her family about this over the phone, the call was abruptly cut off.
“Two female inmates were arbitrarily transferred to solitary confinement. One of them was handcuffed for 3 hours. The women are being threatened with torture, saying if you don’t stay quiet, we’ll drag you by your hair. The detention center guards also threaten the women with violence,” the journalist told her relatives.
The phone connection was interrupted before she could finish speaking.
Earlier, the pre-trial detention of other Abzas Media employees was extended. Nargiz Absalamova will remain in custody for another three months, Elnar Gasymov for two months, and Hafiz Babali for one month.
