Date of Birth: 13 October 1993
Detained Since: 6–7 May 2025
Affiliation:human rights activist, former reporter for Voice of America Azerbaijani Service (2019–2025)

Charges:

• Initial charge (7 May 2025):

  • Conspiracy to commit bulk cash smuggling (Art. 206.3.2, Criminal Code of Azerbaijan)

• Additional charges announced on 28 August 2025:

  • Conspiracy to commit illegal entrepreneurship in the form of an organised criminal group and in an aggravated and significant amount (Art. 192.3.2)

  • Conspiracy to commit money laundering in the form of an organised criminal group and a substantial amount (Arts. 193-1.3.1, 193-1.3.2)

  • Conspiracy to commit bulk cash smuggling in the form of an organised criminal group (Art. 206.4)

  • Conspiracy to commit tax evasion in the form of an organised criminal group (Art. 213.2.1)

  • Forgery and use of forged documents (Arts. 320.1, 320.2)

Conviction and Sentence:

• No conviction to date

• Trial ongoing before the Baku Assize Court as part of the consolidated “Meydan TV case”

Political Prisoner Status:

Ulviyya Guliyeva’s detention meets criteria (a) and (e) of PACE Resolution 1900 (2012) on the definition of political prisoners:

• (a) Her detention violates the right to freedom of expression and freedom of association under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), due to her journalistic activity and human rights reporting.

• (e) The prosecution is politically motivated and forms part of a broader crackdown on independent media and civil society in Azerbaijan.

Local and international human rights and press freedom organisations regard her as a political prisoner and have called for her immediate and unconditional release.

Summary:

Ulviyya Guliyeva is a well-known independent journalist and human rights defender in Azerbaijan, recognized for her sustained reporting on political trials, protests, and human rights violations. Her work has focused on documenting restrictions on civil liberties and providing real-time coverage of politically sensitive events, often relied upon by international media and advocacy organisations.

She was detained overnight on 6–7 May 2025 following a search of her apartment, in connection with the criminal case publicly known as the “Meydan TV case.” Her arrest followed earlier measures against her, including questioning as a witness and the imposition of a travel ban. Reports from independent sources raised concerns about ill-treatment during her arrest and her access to adequate medical care in detention.

Her prosecution follows a well-documented pattern in Azerbaijan in which independent journalists are charged with financial and economic crimes, including currency smuggling and money laundering, in order to criminalise legitimate journalistic activity. Courts have repeatedly extended her pre-trial detention despite the absence of credible evidence and despite defence appeals.

Observers note that her case forms part of a renewed wave of repression that intensified from autumn 2023 onward, targeting independent media outlets, journalists, and civil society actors associated with non-state and critical platforms.

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