Abzas Media

Abzas Media is an non-profit independent media outlet in Azerbaijan. It was founded in 2016 and focused on news and investigations in domestic politics, especially involving corruption and human rights in Azerbaijan.

The outlet became known internationally in November 2023 when it became a target of the ongoing crackdown on the civil society, journalists and human rights activists in Azerbaijan. The crackdown on Abzas Media has been widely seen by the international community as a devastating attack on the freedom of press and freedom of speech in the country. The journalists at Abzas Media have been arrested on charges that are considered dubious by various human rights organizations. Abzas Media was also mentioned in a resolution by the European Parliament, condemning the ongoing human rights violations in the country.

History
Abzas Media was founded in 2016 by a group of civil activists. Ulvi Hasanli was one of them and has been the head of the organization since its inception. He aimed to expose the detrimental effects of corruption on society, highlighting how it increases the power imbalances and socio-economic inequality in post-Soviet Azerbaijan. Before his work at Abzas Media, Hasanli led several pro-democracy youth organizations, including Dalga, the Free Youth Movement, and the NIDA Youth Movement, all of which strive to promote democratic and social change in Azerbaijan.

Sevinc Vaqifqizi, also a human rights defender and journalist, is the editor-in-chief of Abzas Media. She has played a significant role in uncovering high-level corruption, including allegations involving senior officials and the President Aliyev's family. Vaqifqizi previously worked for nine years as a local journalist with Meydan TV, an independent media outlet operating in exile.

Criminal investigation
On 21 November 2023, the Khatai District Court in Baku placed human rights defenders and journalists Ulvi Hasanli and Sevinc Vaqifqizi in pre-trial detention for four months. They are under investigation for allegedly "conspiring to bring money into the country unlawfully," a criminal offense under Article 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan. If convicted, they face up to eight years in prison.

Elnara Gasimova was arrested on 13 January 2024, and placed in pre-trial detention on 15 January 2024. Hafiz Babali was arrested on 13 December 2023 at a railway station in Baku, and the authorities subsequently raided his home without a search warrant, seizing his computer, cell phone, and documents. He was placed in pre-trial detention on 14 December 2023. Nargiz Absalamova was arrested on 30 November 2023, and her ability to contact her family and lawyer was restricted until her whereabouts were clarified on 1 December 2023, when she was placed in pre-trial detention.