New wave of repressions target Abzas Media
On 20 November, Azerbaijani law enforcement arrested Abzas Media director Ulvi Hasanli in front of his apartment in the early morning. Policemen later surrounded and raided Hasanli's apartment and Abzas Media office. The law enforcement claimed they claimed to have found 40 thousand euros in cash in the office. On the same day, Hasanli’s deputy, Mahammad Kekalov, was also detained from his apartment and he was held incommunicado for the next three days. On 21 November, police arrested Abzas editor-in-chief Sevinj Abbasova (Vagifgyzy) upon her arrival at the airport at night and her apartment was also searched later. The authorities launched a criminal case against Abzas Media and on 21 November, Hasanli and Abbasova were sentenced to four months of pre-trial detention over the accusation of illegal smuggling of large sums of foreign currency into the country. On 23 November, his lawyer was eventually allowed to meet Kekalov, but he refused legal support from any other lawyer than the state-appointed one. Subsequently, Kekalov was also sentenced to nearly four months in pre-trial detention over the same criminal charges.
International organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Committee to Protect Journalists condemned Abzas managers’ arrests and deemed it another wave of attack against independent media in Azerbaijan. Abzas is one of the few independent media outlets in Azerbaijan and it has a fast-growing audience on social media. Over the past year, Abzas published numerous reports that exposed high-level corruption, and investigations into the personal wealth of the ruling Aliyev family, the head of the State Security Service, and the minister of foreign affairs. Abzas also uncovered shady deals in the reconstruction of Karabakh and how the ruling family has benefited from them. In June 2023, Abzas extensively reported from Suyudlu village where police used violence against ordinary residents who protested over environmental concerns.
Following the arrest of Hasanli, Abzas Media team released a statement on 20 November. “… we hold President Ilham Aliyev responsible for his illegal detention,” Abzas team said, adding that they will continue the investigative reporting. “You deserve the right information and you have a right to know by whom and how your taxes are being spent,” Abzas told the public. Other independent media outlets and numerous journalists also signed a joint statement calling on the Azerbaijani government to stop the wave of repressions as well as bogus charges against Abzas Media. The Azerbaijani state media and televisions extensively propagated against Abzas Media, other independent media outlets, and civil society organizations – accusing them of espionage for the United States. The state-controlled Report news agency published a series of articles pointing fingers at some foreign donors, including USAID, NED, and the EU, for running a spy network in Azerbaijan through unregistered funding, in the example of Abzas. The civil society representatives also issued a joint statement condemning the government’s smear campaign and urging for the immediate release of the arrested Abzas journalists.
Azerbaijani authorities ‘declare war’ on USAID
The Azerbaijani authorities’ campaign against USAID, which continued through state-controlled media for months, has culminated over the past week when the presidential aide Hikmat Hajiyev stated “there is no place for USAID operation in Azerbaijan any longer.” That came in response to the announcement of USAID director Samantha Power to provide 4 million USD in humanitarian aid to ethnic Armenians of Karabakh. Hajiyev accused Power of political corruption in conspiracy with Ruben Vardanyan, an Armenian billionaire currently in Baku prison. In the meantime, the Azerbaijani state media elevated anti-Western propaganda, particularly targeting USAID. In a lengthy TV program on AzTV, the government mouthpiece claimed that USAID and NED “conduct campaigns against Azerbaijan, brainwash, promote feminism, sexual minorities and alienate the young generation from national values.” The government-linked media also accused the US Embassy of “activating the spy network” by planning to organize a large alumni gathering in a central hotel on 27 November. The US Embassy subsequently canceled the planned anniversary gala which was supposed to bring together over four hundred graduates of US education and exchange programs for networking.