Ahead of the visit of U.S. Vice President James David Vance to Baku, calls addressed to him for the release of political prisoners held in Azerbaijan are continuing.
Two Democratic members of the U.S. Senate have appealed to Vice President James David Vance regarding journalists imprisoned in Azerbaijan before his planned visit to Baku.
The senators are calling on Vance to address with Azerbaijani officials the release of Farid Mehralizadeh, a Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty staffer, and Ulviyya Ali (Guliyeva), who has worked with Voice of America.
In a post shared on the platform “X,” Jeanne Shaheen, a leading member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, stated that during his visit to Baku, Vance should demand the release of economist Gubad Ibadoghlu, who is said to have been unjustly detained, journalists Farid Mehralizadeh and Ulviyya Ali, as well as media expert Alasgar Mammadli.
Another senator, Chris Van Hollen, a member of the Budget and Foreign Relations Committees, in a letter addressed to the vice president, drew attention to the arrests of Ulviyya Ali and Farid Mehralizadeh, who worked with U.S.-affiliated media outlets, and called for intensified efforts to secure their immediate release.
Van Hollen noted that these journalists should not be accused of any illegal acts and were punished solely for working with media organizations supported by the United States. He emphasized that Ulviyya Ali was subjected to violence during her detention and suffered health problems, while Farid Mehralizadeh was unable to be with his family at the moment his first child was born. The senator also recalled that Mehralizadeh’s wife, Nargiz Mukhtarova, is currently facing another criminal case.
“Such treatment of independent journalists and their families is neither morally acceptable nor appropriate for a country that claims partnership with the United States. These actions undermine trust, violate human dignity, and do not serve peace in the region. People should not be held hostage because of their ties to the United States. Ulviyya Ali and Farid Mehralizadeh should not be in prison for crimes they did not commit; they should be with their families. I ask you to take a firm stance in meetings with Azerbaijani officials to secure their release,” the letter states.
Members of the U.S. Congress from Virginia—Congressman James Walkinshaw and Senator Tim Kaine—have also sent a letter to Vance ahead of his planned visit to Azerbaijan. The letter asks Vance to raise with Azerbaijani authorities the arrest of economist Gubad Ibadoghlu and the overall human rights situation in Azerbaijan. The appeal was also signed by Senator Mark Warner and Congress members Bobby Scott, Don Beyer, Jennifer McClellan, Suhas Subramanyam, and Eugene Vindman.
The international human rights organization Freedom House also shared a post on its “X” account, calling on the vice president to raise the issue of releasing all political prisoners, including economist Gubad Ibadoghlu and journalists Farid Mehralizadeh and Ulviyya Ali, during his visit to Baku.
“All political prisoners must be released immediately and unconditionally. #FreeThemAll,” the post emphasized.
U.S. Congressman and Democrat Jim McGovern had earlier called on Vance to undertake diplomatic efforts to secure the release of prisoners of conscience as part of his visit to Baku.
The journalists mentioned, along with dozens of other media representatives and civic activists currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan, are accused of various crimes, but they consider these charges fabricated and say their arrests are linked to their critical activities. Official bodies, however, claim that there are no politically motivated arrests in the country, that all fundamental rights are ensured, and that these individuals are being held accountable for specific criminal acts. According to human rights defenders, there are currently about 340 political prisoners in Azerbaijani prisons.
Vance is expected to arrive in Baku today, February 10. A day earlier, on February 9, he held official meetings in Yerevan. It was announced that documents related to cooperation between the United States and Armenia in the nuclear field and the sale of drones were signed.
According to official information, the regional visit is being carried out within the framework of U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace initiatives and the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP).
