Investigation blocks accounts of journalists who are involved in "Abzas Media" case

Baku/06.12.23/Turan: In response to the criminal case against the journalists of "Abzas Media", a number of journalists who collaborated with this publication were summoned and questioned.

On December 5, journalist Shamistan Haziyev was interrogated, and on December 6, Leyla Aghayeva was summoned to the investigation. According to investigative journalist Hafiz Babaly, the investigation seized the bank accounts of a number of persons involved in the investigation and their family members.

Thus, on November 29, the Khatai court of Baku, within the framework of the criminal case against Abzas Media, decided to arrest bank accounts and provide the Baku city police department with information on tax payments and shares in legal entities of those involved in the investigation and family members, Babaly noted. In this decision, he is listed as an "accused person", although the next day he was questioned as a witness at the city police department.

"I'm a journalist. This is my job. My investigations, thanks to "Abzas Media", caused a great resonance, but why did the Prosecutor's Office not see the revealed facts?"
In a democratic country, he would have been thanked for these investigations, and criminal cases would have been opened against those who illegally enriched themselves. In Azerbaijan, on the contrary, those who expose these facts are persecuted, Babaly said.

It was not possible to get comments from the Interior Ministry regarding the blocking of accounts of journalists and their relatives.

Recall that since November 20, the director of "Abzas Media" Ulvi Hasanli, his deputy Mohammad Kekalov, editor-in-chief Sevinj Vagifgizi and correspondent Nargiz Absalamova have been arrested on charges of money smuggling . –03B06-