Court prolongs arrest terms of "Abzas Media" journalists again

Terms of pre-trial detention of "Abzas Media" director Ulvi Hasanli and editor-in-chief Sevinj Vagifgyzy have been extended for another three months. This was decided today in Khatai district court.

According to lawyer Elchin Sadygov, during the court session Vagifgyzy said that after she made public the facts of violence against female detainees in Baku SIZO-1 she was banned from making phone calls to her relatives. She demanded that the Ombudsman come to the court.

The defense lawyer pointed to the unreasonableness of extending Hasanli's arrest.

In turn, Ulvi Hasanli’s  lawyer Fakhraddin Mehdiyev also noted the illegality of extending the arrest of his client. According to him, the criminal case has no material basis.

The defense lawyers will file appeals.

* Since 20 November 2023, six journalists and media workers of "Abzas Media" have been arrested on charges of "currency smuggling". They have denied the charges, linking the criminal case to investigations into corruption published in "Abzas Media".

Note that international media protection organisations called on the Azerbaijani authorities to immediately release the detained journalists and to stop the pressure on the media.