Three female journalists of Abzas Media were subjected to physical violence at the Baku Pre-Trial Detention Center No. 1 on November 14, 2024. The prison guards crushed their hands between the prison door windows, since they were complaining about poor ventilation in the prison cell

“Sevinj said some inmates, including individuals with epilepsy and pregnant women, began to experience severe breathing difficulties due to the lack of fresh air. As the situation worsened, detainees demanded the windows on the prison doors be opened by banging on the doors, with Sevinc leading the protest”, –  Ofeliya Maharramova, Sevinj’s mother said.

“A guard named Aziza Mammadova, partially opened the prison door window of the cell where Sevinj is kept and yelled at her. When Sevinj attempted to prevent the prison door window from being closed by sticking her arm out, Mammadova forcefully shut it, causing injury to Sevinj's arm. Nargiz and Elnara  subjected the same violence as well”, – she added.

The windows on the prison doors were reportedly closed  under the instruction of Elnur Ismayilov, the detention center governor. 

The overcrowded facility built for 2600 prisoners hosts more than 4300 prisoners, according to the latest voter statistics from the last snap presidential elections held on february 14, 2024.

Sevinj’s mother hardly obtained a meeting with her daughter last Saturday. On November 16th she was denied an in-person meeting with her daughter. After being kept waiting in the corridor for three hours Ophelia Maharramova was allowed to meet with her, but only through the glass window. That was how her mother noticed the bruises on Sevinj’s  hands, and wrists.

A few days ago Nargiz Absalamova, reporter of Abzas Media, was insulted by a prison guard, and the situation escalated when Sevinj and Elnara challenged the guard's inappropriate behavior. "When the doors were closed in the evening shift, another female guard insulted Nargiz and twisted her arm", said one of her relatives who wanted to remain anonymous.

Elnara Gasimova, another jailed reporter of Abzas Media reported the incident to her family via phone, revealing that the guard named Shahla insulted Nargiz, is the daughter of Nazakat Mammadova, a former chief guard of the detention center. Shahla took over after her mother left the position. Elnara's call was abruptly cut off as soon as she mentioned the guard's name.

Agil Layich, a human rights lawyer based in Baku, was denied a meeting with Sevinj Vagifgizi, the jailed editor-in-chief of Abzas Media. The purpose of the visit was to address reported violence against the journalists. 

The journalists have called for visits from the Ombudsman and their lawyers. Nargiz Absalamova’s lawyer, Shahla Humbatova, confirmed that the Office of the Ombudsman has already  been informed about the incident.   

The journalists of Abzas Media in the pre-trial detention center are going to launch a hunger strike, if the problems they face remain unsolved, said Ophelia Maharramova referring to her daughter Sevinj. 

It is not the first time that the journalists of Abzas Media face inhuman treatment in jail.  Ulvi Hasanli, the jailed director of Abzas Media, has been subjected violence as well. Complaints filed by Hasanli regarding injuries to his back have been dismissed by local courts.

Since November of last year, six journalists from Abzas Media –  director Ulvi Hasanli, project manager Muhammad Kekalov, editor-in-chief  Sevinj Vagifgizi, reporters Nargiz Absalamova and Elnara Gasimova, and an investigative  journalist Hafiz Babali have been arrested on charges of smuggling foreign currency into the country. 

In late August 2024, seven new economic crimes were brought in relation to alleged funding from Western donor organizations. Local and international human rights organizations consider the case as politically motivated and called for the Azerbaijani journalists to be freed.