Activist Elgiz Gahraman questioned as witness in "Abzas Media" case

Public activist Elgiz Gahraman was questioned as a witness in the "Abzas Media" case on 3 May.

He himself informed journalists about it. 

The activist could not disclose the content of the questions asked due to the obligation not to disclose the secrecy of the investigation.

Gahraman added that he was banned from leaving the country and the police explained this by the fact that he is a witness in a criminal case.

* Between November 2023 and January 2024, eight journalists and media workers associated with "Abzas Media" were arrested.

In April, Imran Aliyev, head of the meclis.info website, and Anar Mammadli, head of the Centre for Election Monitoring and Democracy Education, were also arrested in the case.

All the defendants in the case are charged with "smuggling foreign currency by prior conspiracy’"  The journalists deny the charges and link the criminal case to corruption investigations. Aliyev and Mammadli said they were not involved in the activities of "Abzas Media" at all. Human rights activists recognised the arrested persons as political prisoners.