Voice of America Director Mike Abramowitz issued a statement on the one-year anniversary of journalist Ulviyya Guliyeva (Ali)’s detention by Azerbaijani authorities.
The statement says that 32-year-old Ulviyya Ali worked as an independent journalist and also collaborated with various independent media organizations, including the Azerbaijani Service of Voice of America. She is described as one of the few journalists who continued reporting on politically sensitive topics inside the country.
The statement recalls that one year ago, Ulviyya Ali was arrested following a police raid on her home in Baku. It states that she was subjected to physical violence, her apartment was searched, and her equipment was confiscated.
Authorities have charged the journalist under the Criminal Code’s smuggling article. If convicted, she could face up to eight years in prison. The statement emphasizes that her detention comes amid a broad crackdown on independent media in the country and raises concerns that she may have been targeted because of her collaboration with Voice of America.
Mike Abramowitz added that Ulviyya Ali is currently being held in a pretrial detention center in Baku, and her colleagues are seriously concerned about her health and well-being.
“We call on the Azerbaijani authorities to ensure her well-being, to review the charges brought against her in a fair and transparent manner, and to take appropriate steps toward her release,” the statement says.
Journalist Ulviyya Ali was arrested on May 7 of last year in connection with a criminal case related to Meydan TV.
She was initially charged under Article 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code (smuggling committed by a group of persons acting in prior collusion).
In total, 12 people were arrested in connection with the “Meydan TV case” between December 2024 and August 2025.
On August 28, 2025, the charges in the “Meydan TV case” were made more severe.
