2025

Press freedom in Azerbaijan. Part 2. New wave of persecution of journalists in Azerbaijan

Persecution and pressure against journalists, as well as restrictions on media, are a regular practice in Azerbaijan. Opposition news websites with a wide audience are blocked, and all media outlets that still try to provide independent journalism and criticize the authorities face persecution.

Since November 2023, the Azerbaijani authorities have targeted, in particular, the "Abzas Media" news website, and the YouTube channels "Toplum TV", "Kanal 1", and "Kanal 13". On November 20, 2023, police officers in plain clothes, using force, detained Ulvi Hasanli, the head of the "Abzas Media" news website. The news outlet's office was also searched, where, according to law enforcement, 40,000 euros were found. The following day, Sevinj Vagifgizi, the website's editor-in-chief, was arrested on a plane on her way back to Azerbaijan. Subsequently, the website's deputy director, Mohammad Kekalov, and website employees Narguz Absalamova, Hafiz Babali, and Elnara Gasimova were arrested. Despite initial detentions of 3-4 months, these journalists remain imprisoned. A criminal case was opened against the detainees on charges of smuggling; they face up to 8 years in prison. After Hasanli's arrest, "Abzas Media" issued a statement emphasizing that the arrest of the website's head was due to his journalistic activities and, in particular, to the fact that the website was investigating the corruption of the authorities. Specifically, it refers to the disclosure of corruption deals by companies owned by the Aliyev family in the occupied territories of Artsakh.

Ilham Aliyev is responsible for this illegal arrest. We have published a series of investigations into the corruption crimes committed by the country’s president and his appointed officials, and we believe that Hasanli’s arrest is connected to this. We believe that the president ordered the arrest of Ulvi Hasanli to shut down our website and prevent the dissemination of information about corruption crimes,” the website stated. This is also evidenced by the following question posed to Ulvi Hasanli by one of the police officers at the time of his arrest: “Why don’t you write about Karabakh? Why do you write about corruption?

Concurrently, a smear campaign was launched against "Abzas Media" and its journalists by pro-government media outlets. Following the arrests, "Abzas Media" stopped publishing investigative reports and resorted to news coverage.

In a statement issued in February 2024, the website announced that it would continue its investigative work from outside the country, with the assistance of foreign journalists. The leadership of the website has been assumed by Leyla Mustafayeva, who is based in Germany.

The wave of arrests extended to other media outlets. Aziz Orujev, the director of the YouTube channel "Kanal-13," was also arrested. He was charged with unauthorized construction, punished by 1-3 years in prison. Later, he was also charged with smuggling, and can be sentenced to up to 8 years in prison. According to Orujev, he is being persecuted because of his journalistic activities, as "Kanal-13" is known for covering protests and human rights violations. After his arrest, the Azerbaijani authorities closed down the channel.

"In this country, journalism is a crime. If you give accurate information, you can easily be thrown in jail," Orujev said. The channel's employee, Rufat Muradli, was also arrested and detained for 30 days on hooliganism charges. Another employee, Shamo Eminov, was charged with smuggling. While in prison, Eminov even attempted to commit suicide.

Teymur Kerimov, the head of the YouTube channel "Kanal-11", was also arrested. He has been charged with extortion. Before his arrest, Kerimov had received regular threats due to his frequent criticism of government officials and coverage of protest actions.

Ibrahimb Gumbetov, the head of the "Azerinfo.az" website, has been arrested on extortion charges. On January 13, 2024, Gabil Veliyev, the founder and editor-in-chief of the "Gündəlik Bakı" newspaper, was arrested on the same charge. Days later, Shahin Rzayev, a journalist for the "JAMnews" website, was arrested on hooliganism charges. He was sentenced to 15 days of administrative arrest and a 50 manat fine. The reason for Rzayev's arrest was his post.

Azerbaijani law enforcement authorities have raided the office of the online TV channel "Toplum TV," which is headed by investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova. Ismayilova has been subjected to persecution throughout her journalistic career, including imprisonment.

She is among the journalists whom the Azerbaijani authorities have spied on using the "Pegasus" spyware program. In February, "Toplum TV" published reports on violations during the snap presidential elections in Azerbaijan, after which it became a target of the authorities. After raiding the office, law enforcement officers arrested four journalists: Farid Ismayilov, Elmir Abbasov, Mushvig Jabbarov, and Ramil Babaev. Another employee, Alаsgar Mammadli, was arrested later. They were also charged with smuggling. Imran Aliyev, the head of the "Meclis.info" platform, was also arrested on the same charge. In addition to the arrests, journalists associated with these media outlets have also been subjected to pressure, including the blocking of bank accounts and bans on leaving the country.

The persecution of Azerbaijani authorities is not limited to their own territory. In early August, Azerbaijani opposition journalist Afgan Sadygov was arrested in Georgia. Tbilisi is likely to extradite him to the Baku authorities, as it has already done in the case of another opposition journalist, Afgan Mukhtarly.

International human rights organizations monitor the actions of the Azerbaijani authorities. Reporters Without Borders has condemned the arrests as a hunt for independent journalists and called on the Council of Europe to remind the Aliyev regime of its obligations. Not only Freedom House and Human Rights Watch but also Amnesty International have characterized the actions of the Baku authorities as repression against independent journalists. The new wave of persecution against journalists in Azerbaijan has also been viewed as a consequence of tensions in relations with the United States and the activation of Armenian-American relations, as the mentioned media outlets and their representatives have been presented in pro-government media as 'Washington spies'.

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