Caspian Wire: Abzas Media Journalists Sentenced, Scholar Bahruz Samadov Gets 15 Years | June 2025
This newsletter documents key developments in the ongoing Azerbaijan human rights crackdown in 2025
Meydan TV journalists detention period extended
On June 24, the pre-trial detention period of all journalists arrested as part of Meydan Tv investigation was extended by another three months.
In separate trials, all Meydan TV journalists – Ramin Deko (Jabrayilzade), Aysel Umudova, Khayala Aghayeva, Natig Javadli, Aynur Elgunesh (Ganbarova), and Aytac Tapdıg (Ahmedova) – and journalists collaborating with Meydan TV – editor-in-chief of the “argument.az” website Shamshad Agha (Aghayev), Fatima Movlamli, Ulviyya Ali (Guliyeva), Nurlan Libre (Gahramanov), as well as civil society member Ulvi Tahirov – had their detention terms extended for another 3 months.
Quarantine measures remain in place through October
On June 23, authorities announced their decision to extend the period of “quarantine regime,” introduced at the start of pandemic in 2020 and keep its land borders closed until October 2025.
Civic activist risks losing eyesight after detention beating
Ahmad Mammadli, a young civic activist, may lose his eyesight. According to the committee advocating for him, this is due to blows he suffered during his detention in May 2025. Since his arrest the activist has been complaining that he has been having difficulty seeing clearly with the same eye that received the blow. According to the information shared by the committee, Mammadli was advised by the doctor to follow a healthy and nutritious diet, taking necessary medication. However his health deteriorated since his arrest. Taking into account that Mammadli has undergone two separate surgeries a year ago, and suffers from genetic asthma the conditions of his detention are unsuitable. The committee has called for his immediate transfer under house arrest where the activist can continue receiving the medical treatment and proper care. Mammadli is accused of allegedly stabbing another man. The activist has refuted the charges and described the arrest politically motivated.
Samadov sentenced amid Azerbaijan’s 2025 crackdown on academia
The Baku court sentenced Bahruz Samadov to 15 years on bogus treason charges on June 23.. His case has become emblematic of the broader Azerbaijan human rights crackdown in 2025.
On June 20, during the hearing in the case of young scholar, PhD candidate at Charles University, Bahruz Samadov, the state prosecutor requested 16 year sentence. Samadov is charged with treason, an accusation the young academic has denied.
Following state prosecutor’s demand, and according to information shared by Samadov’s lawyer, the young scholar attempted suicide.
Samadov was arrested in August 2024 while visiting his ailing grandmother.
Due process violations in politician Azer Gasimli’s trial
Arrested political Azer Gasimli’s hearing was scheduled originally for June 23. However, on June 18, his family and lawyer learned the hearing date was changed without prior information sent to the family or Gasimli’s lawyer. Gasimli’s wife, Samira Gasimli told Meydan TV, she learned of the trial from other news sites. According to the available information, Gasimli’s first hearing was rescheduled to June 25 due to absence of his lawyers.
War veteran’s pre-trial detention extended again
On June 20, Chairman of “Young Veterans” Public Union, Haci Valiyev’s detention period was extended by another two months.
Valiyev was first detained on March 31, 2025. He was sentenced to 22 days in pretrial detention in April 1, 2025 on hooliganism and property damage charges. This period was extended by two months on April 18. The veteran denies the charges. If convicted, he is facing a prison sentence of up to five years.
On May 14, the Khatai District Court rejected a motion to release Haci Valiyev, Chairman of “Young Veterans” Public Union, under house arrest.
Haci Valiyev is known for his critical posts on social media. He had reportedly been detained and released on previous occasions. He has been particularly active in publicizing the problems faced by veterans who lost their health in the Second Karabakh War and the martyrs’ families.
Musavat Party members sentenced in politically charged trials
On June 11 opposition Musavat Party members Aladdin Alasgerly, Goshgar Nural, and party activist Jabir Valiyev were sentenced to prison on hooliganism charges (Article 221.2.1 – hooliganism committed by a group of persons). Alasgerly and Valiyev were sentenced to 2 years and 3 months in prison, while Goshgar Nural received a 2-year sentence.
The criminal case stems from an incident which occurred on December 31, 2024, following an event organized by the Musavat Party’s Bilasuvar district organization. The party alleges that local authorities, orchestrated a “provocation” against the party members. Despite official medical expertise confirming Aladdin Alasgerly was injured during this incident, the court reportedly issued a lenient verdict for the provocateur, while sentencing the Musavat supporters to imprisonment without any evidence.
The Musavat Party condemned the verdict, considering the court decision a continuation of repressions in Azerbaijan. The party called for an immediate release of all three men.
Torture, forced confessions target Muslim Unity members
According to information released by the Muslim Unity Movement (MUM), member of the movement Elgiz Mammadov, was detained on June 10 in Baku, and subjected to torture at the Nizami District Police Department and subsequently hospitalized. MUM said, their member was tortured in order to force him to confess on video to drug possession.
Mammadov’s lawyer, Zibeyda Sadigova, noted clear signs of torture on his body and has filed a complaint with the Ombudsman’s Office.
Later on June 10, Mammadov reportedly suffered severe health complications after consuming a drink given to him by police, leading to his urgent hospitalization. MUM suggests this may be a tactic used by police to falsely implicate individuals by introducing drugs into their system via water, thereby creating false evidence for court.
According to the “Union for the Freedom of Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan,” as of June 9, 241 religious individuals are imprisoned on political grounds in the country. The leaders of the Muslim Unity Movement themselves have been imprisoned since the Nardaran events in 2015, with arrests of members continuing since then.
Separately on June 19, Taleh Bagirzade, the imprisoned leader of the Muslim Unity Movement, was placed in solitary confinement at Penitentiary No. 12, allegedly for violating internal prison rules, and received an additional five-day punishment on June 22. His family reports the move stems from his refusal to leave a damaged section of the prison after part of the roof collapsed on June 13, leaving the building in a dangerous condition.
Bagirzade says he was given two options: remain in the unsafe facility or be transferred to a high-security prison. He rejected both, protesting what he describes as coercive conditions. In response, he refused to participate in headcounts, leading to the disciplinary measures.
Abzas Media journalists jailed in Azerbaijan human rights crackdown
On June 20, court sentenced all of the journalists as well as the economist Farid Mehralizade. Ulvi Hasanli, Sevinc Vagifgizi, Hafiz Babali and Farid Mehrmalizade were sentenced to nine years. Nargiz Absalamova, Elnara Gasimova were sentenced to eight years. Mahammad Kekalov was sentenced to 7.5 years. This marks a new low in the 2025 Azerbaijan crackdown on independent journalism and civic space.
All journalists delivered their final statements holding the government to account even in their speeches prior to being sent to prison.
On June 10, the defense lawyers representing Abzas Media journalists delivered their final defense statements.
They strongly asserted that all charges are fabricated. A key point highlighted was the reliance on testimony from co-accused Mahammad Kekalov, who has since recanted his court statements, claiming they were extracted under duress. The defense also questioned how Ulvi Hasanli was arrested before Kekalov, implying a flawed investigative timeline.
Furthermore, lawyers pointed out inconsistencies in the smuggling charges, noting that no illegal property was found on the journalists at the border or in their homes. They dismissed charges of illegal entrepreneurship and legal property legalization as absurd, suggesting the investigation itself fabricated evidence. They also highlighted that neither Hafiz Babali nor Elnara Gasimova left the country during the alleged period of the crime (2020-2023).
Despite their requests for a transparent investigation being denied, the lawyers, while expressing little expectation of a fair verdict, urged the court to acquit their clients. Following the defense presentations, Judge Sadikhov offered the defendants their final say. Most opted to speak at the next trial, with only Hafiz Babali delivering his statement during this session.
On June 26, journalists Ulvi Hasanli, Mammad Kekalov, Hafiz Babali, Farid Mehralizade and scholar Bahruz Samadov were transferred from the Baku Pretrial Detention Center to Umbaki prison, a decision in violation of a prior court decision that the journalists and Samadov would remain at the pre-trial detention facility until their verdicts became final.
The list of political prisoners has reached 375 people
On June 10, the Union for the Freedom of Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan released an updated list identifying 375 political prisoners. This unprecedented number reflects the depth of the Azerbaijan human rights crackdown 2025. The updated list includes journalists and civic activists arrested since February of this year. Free Voices Collective has not independently verified individual names. We are however working on our own list using the definition of “political prisoner” by the Council of Europe elaborated for the first time in 2001. The list will be shared publicly once complete and will be updated on rolling basis.
New indictments against Meclis.info founders
On June 10, Imran Aliyev and Elgiz Gahraman, founders of meclis.info, heard the indictment in their case at a hearing in Baku. Both men continue to refute what they call “bogus charges.” Their persecution is consistent with the government’s pattern during the 2025 human rights crackdown.
According to the indictment, meclis.info’s website and social media accounts were not properly registered. As a result, Aliyev, Gahraman, and Tamella Musayeva, are accused of receiving undeclared foreign funding through meclis.info and engaging in smuggling. The indictment also claims all three forged documents while committing smuggling, purportedly in cahoots with Abzas Media journalists. If convicted, Aliyev, Gahraman and Musayeva face a minimum of seven and up to twelve years in prison.
Imran Aliyev was arrested in April 2024 on smuggling charges and has since faced additional accusations including abuse of power, illegal entrepreneurship, tax evasion, and document forgery – all of which he denies. Elgiz Gahraman and Tamella Musayeva were placed under police supervision in February 2025 as part of the same investigation, facing the same charges as Aliyev. Gahraman has been under a travel ban since April 2024 due to investigation related to the Abzas Media case.
Majlis.info, launched in 2023, meticulously analyzed the activities of the Azerbaijani parliament and the often-controversial statements made by its members.
Opposition political party members face continued arrests
The opposition Popular Front party continues to face a wave of arrests. On June 24, Agshin Abdullayev (Oguz), a member of the party’s Youth Committee, was sentenced to 30 days in administrative detention.
On June 7, Rahil Guliyev, another party member, was reportedly detained by police. This follows his administrative detention in May 2025. This time, Guliyev is facing undisclosed criminal charges.
This pattern of criminal charges following administrative detention is not new. Zaur Rzali, the party leader’s driver, faced illegal possession of weapon charges shortly after serving his 30-day administrative detention and is now under a travel ban. In May, the party leader’s bodyguard was also arrested and sent to four months of pretrial detention on fraud charges, with at least four other party members facing similar detentions that month.
In a separate incident on June 5, veteran political activist Mammad Ibrahim (who has been a political prisoner three times) and his son Mehdi Ibrahim were stopped by masked men in Baku. Their home was searched, mobile devices confiscated, and they were taken to a police station. After three hours, both were released, and their devices returned, with police stating it was “a mistake.”
The Popular Front party asserts these arrests are politically motivated, claiming approximately 20 members are currently behind bars. Additionally, concerns have been raised by family members about Zamin Salayev, another party member sentenced to four years in prison in 2023, who is reportedly experiencing serious heart issues that prison medical staff have not addressed.
Azerbaijani blogger’s attacker sentenced by French Court
On June 4, a French court sentenced Khayyam Hagverdiyev, an Azerbaijani man, to ten years in prison for his 2021 attack on exiled blogger Mahammad Mirzali. Mirzali was stabbed multiple times in Nantes, France, where he has lived since 2016. Mirzali is known for his YouTube videos critical of the ruling family in Azerbaijan. On June 3, a Baku court issued an arrest warrant in absentia against Mirzali, accusing him of inciting mass unrest, resisting law enforcement, and making public calls to overthrow the constitutional order.
Scholar is on hunger strike for 25 days
Young scholar Fazil Gasimov is currently on his second hunger strike, now in its 25th day. In retaliation, he has reportedly been placed in solitary confinement.
Inadequate prison conditions revealed
Ali Zeynalov, an employee of the Institute for Democratic Initiatives (IDI) currently on trial as part of the larger Toplum TV case, has penned a letter to the Minister of Justice. In his letter, Zeynalov details violations of laws and inadequate sanitary conditions at the pretrial detention facility where he and many other journalists, rights defenders, and political activists have been held since November 2023.
Ali Zeynalov described dire cell conditions, contrasting them with a “renovated and cleaned” cell (number 12) shown to a Ministry of Justice commission a month prior. In his own cell (number 19), Zeynalov reported cockroaches, rats, and personal belongings contaminated with sewage. He also recounted mistreatment by Penitentiary Service employees, including being placed in solitary confinement after complaining about ventilation. Shortly after his letter was publicized, Zeynalov was subjected to psychological pressure and threatened with transfer to a high-security prison. His right to phone calls with family members has also been restricted.
Labor rights activist’s solitary confinement extended
The family of labor rights activist Elvin Mustafayev has learned of a decision to keep him in solitary confinement for another month, until June 29. Mustafayev was initially placed in solitary confinement on May 6 for 14 days, reportedly in retaliation for a hunger strike he undertook in support of jailed politician Tofig Yagublu. During this period, he was also transferred between prisons.
His family is deeply worried about Mustafayev’s health and suspects he may have been tortured. Mustafayev was sentenced to three years in January 2025. His lawyer, Zibeyde Sadigova, was unable to meet with him on June 4, as prison management cited his solitary confinement. Sadigova was also not informed that the prison requested his transfer to a high-security prison on June 3.
Toplum TV trial
On June 23 indictments against all Toplum TV journalists and those on trial as part of a criminal investigation launched against the online news outlet were finalized and shared. The next hearing is scheduled on June 30.
On June 2, the Baku Grave Crimes Court announced parts of the indictment concerning Toplum TV journalist Mushfig Jabbar, Institute for Democratic Initiatives (IDI) team members Ali Zeynal and Ramil Babayev, and Ruslan Izzatli, a founding member of the Third Republic Platform. Previously, on May 19, the court announced the indictment concerning Akif Gurbanov, Director of the Institute for Democratic Initiatives, and Alasgar Mammadli, co-founder of Toplum TV.
Separately, on June 23, during the hearing, arrested journalist Farid Ismayilov told the judge he was protesting against being transferred to and from the court room, citing his poor health condition as the reason. Suffering from low blood pressure, Ismayilov told the judge to read his verdict ahead of time especially if all Toplum TV journalists and those affiliated with the on-going case, will face similar consequences as the Abzas Media journalists.
Arrest warrants issued for exiled bloggers
Exiled bloggers Tural Sadigli, Ordukhan Temirkhan (Babirov), and former rector of Azerbaijan International University Elshad Abdullayev now face arrest warrants following a court decision on May 31, 2025. Temirkhan, a Dutch citizen of Azerbaijani descent who emigrated over two decades ago, was summoned to the Prosecutor General’s office in April 2025. Known for his government-critical social media posts, he faces multiple charges, including inciting mass riots and public calls to overthrow the constitutional order via Facebook and YouTube.
This follows investigations launched in March 2025 against several exiled bloggers, including Rafael Piriyev, Ilgar Hajiyev, Mahammad Mirzali, Gurban Mammadov, Elshad Mammadov, Gabil Mammadov, and Tural Sadigli.
Rufat Safarov’s pretrial detention extended, case transferred to court
On June 10, human rights defender Rufat Safarov’s case was transferred to court. Meanwhile, on May 31, the court extended human rights defender’s pretrial detention until June 23. According to his lawyer, Agil Layic, the extension was due to the ongoing investigation. Safarov was arrested in December 2024 under what his lawyer describes as “bogus criminal charges” of fraud, hooliganism, and intentionally causing bodily harm. His pretrial detention was previously extended in March 2025. Safarov, who denies the allegations, was awarded the 2024 Human Rights Defender Award the month of his arrest.