This is the third session that was postponed due to journalists refusing to attend.
Journalists detained in the AbzasMedia case chose not to attend the hearing set for March 4 because the incidents they faced at the detention center and the way they were brought to court had not been investigated. Ulvi Hasanli, the founder and editor-in-chief of AbzasMedia, along with editor-in-chief Sevinj Abbasova (Vagifgizi), and journalists Elnara Gasimli and Nargiz Absalamova did not attend the hearing. As a result, the AbzasMedia trial did not take place at the Baku Serious Crimes Court. They previously boycotted the first two hearings as a protest. This is the session that was postponed due to the journalists’ refusal to attend.
The defense argued that the refusal to attend was due to the court not investigating complaints about the physical violence and inhuman treatment the journalists suffered at the Baku Detention Center No. 1 where they were held. In their statement, they said that the court had not conducted an effective investigation into the violence and mistreatment they faced, and that those responsible for illegal actions have not yet been punished: “This shows that the violence against us was not spontaneous but a political order. We will not tolerate illegality under any circumstances.”
The defendants in the AbzasMedia case claim they were kept in a basement for hours in cold and filthy conditions while being taken to hearings at the Baku Serious Crimes Court. Judge Rasim Sadikhov, who presided over the hearing, stated that he went to the room where the detainees were kept after the journalists’ complaints and learned about the situation: “I personally went and checked, and it was not as dirty as they claimed.” The Penitentiary Service denied the allegations of mistreatment of journalists held at the Baku Detention Center.
The arrests in the AbzasMedia case began on November 20, 2023. First, the founder and director Ulvi Hasanlı and the coordinator Mahammad Kekalov were arrested, followed by the editor-in-chief Sevinj Vagifgizi. This was followed by the arrests of investigative journalists Hafiz Babali, Nargiz Absalamova, Elnara Gasimova, and Farid Mehralizada. They were charged under Article 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code (smuggling by a group of people). The charges were later aggravated during the investigation. The journalists were also accused of crimes such as illegal entrepreneurship, money laundering, tax evasion, and so on. The charges against them carry sentences of up to 12 years in prison.
After Ulvi Hasanli’s detention on November 20, 2023, a search was conducted at the AbzasMedia office. It was claimed that 40,000 euros were found in the office. Ulvi Hasanli stated that no money was found, and the 40,000 euros were placed in the office by people who claimed to have found the money. None of the journalists mentioned have admitted to any crimes, while AbzasMedia reported that numerous officials, including members of the president’s family, have been punished due to business and corruption investigations. However, government officials argue that the detainees were punished based on specific facts.
