Azerbaijan: Families of Unjustly Detained AbzasMedia Journalists Face Escalating State Pressure
Relatives have bank accounts frozen and benefits cut
Location: Azerbaijan, Baku
Date: January 11, 2024
The Coalition For Women In Journalism and Women Press Freedom vehemently condemns the Azerbaijani authorities' escalating state pressure on the families of unjustly detained journalists from AbzasMedia, including Sevinj Vagifgizi. The recent actions taken by the court in Baku, such as freezing bank accounts, cutting access to state benefits, and imposing travel bans, are deeply troubling and unjust. This harsh treatment of families, including elderly and disabled relatives, who are being deprived of their rightful benefits, is a blatant violation of human rights. We demand an end to their persecution and the immediate release of Vagifgizi and her colleagues.
The director, editor-in-chief Sevinj Vagifgizi, deputy director, and two journalists from AbzasMedia were arrested in November 2023 on dubious charges. They remain in detention. In December 2023, the Khatai District Court in Baku took severe actions against their families, freezing bank accounts, cutting access to state benefits, and barring them from leaving the country. This has left the relatives struggling to meet their basic needs.
Ofelya Maharramova, the mother of Sevinj Vagifgizi, disclosed that her disability benefits were withheld without any explanation.
“Those who blocked my benefits card don’t think about how a person has to make a living”
“I have also lost my husband, I am a sick person. Those who blocked my benefits card don’t think about how a person has to make a living,” Maharramova told the court.
Similarly, Sadagat Hasanova, sister of AbzasMedia director Ulvi Hasanli, had her salary blocked by the court, and Esvira Musayeva, mother of Ulvi Hasanli, had her pension frozen. In early December, detained journalist Hafiz Babali shared that his disability benefits, received for partial blindness, were also blocked.
Legal experts argue that the authorities have no legal basis for freezing assets in this manner. Zibeyda Sadigova, the lawyer representing AbzasMedia detainees, stated that freezing bank accounts should only occur in cases where there are “reasonable suspicions'' regarding the origin of funds.
“Money is transferred from the state budget to pension cards. The source of the money is known: it is the state that sends the money to the accounts. Why should they be frozen?” says Sadigova.
The court decision cannot be appealed within the national legal system, the only approach is to apply to the European Court of Human Rights.
The arrests and actions against the families come after a police raid on the office of AbzasMedia on November 20, 2023, allegedly uncovered 40,000 euros. The detained journalists are accused of unlawfully bringing money into the country, a charge they vehemently deny, asserting it is retaliation for AbzasMedia's anti-corruption investigations into senior state officials. If found guilty, they could face up to eight years in prison.
After a police raid on the office of media outlet Abzas Media on November 20, 2023, allegedly unearthed €40,000 (US$43,650), four of its employees were detained. Authorities are accusing the journalists of bringing money into the country unlawfully. They deny the charges, calling them retaliation for the outlet’s anti-corruption investigations into senior state officials. If found guilty, they face up to eight years in prison.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism and Women Press Freedom strongly condemns these oppressive measures against the families of AbzasMedia journalists. The act of secondary targeting, a tactic often employed by authoritarian regimes to harass dissidents by punishing their families, is vicious and unjust. We urgently call on the international community, human rights organizations and relevant stakeholders to exert pressure on Azerbaijani authorities for the immediate release of the detained journalists and the removal of all restrictions imposed on their families.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help women career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.
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