An employee of the women's ward at Baku Pretrial Detention Center No. 1, Aygul Babayeva, had previously also committed violence against Sevinj Vagifgizi.

Another journalist of Abzas Media, Nargiz Absalamova, who has been held in detention for over a year on false charges, has been subjected to violence at Baku Pretrial Detention Center No. 1. The journalist herself informed her family about the incident.

She stated that while returning from a meeting with her lawyer, she approached the cell where Sevinj Vagifgizi is being held to greet her. At that moment, a supervisor named Aygul Babayeva attempted to forcibly remove her from the area in front of the cell, scratching Absalamova's arm deeply in several places with her nails. As a result, Absalamova sustained wound marks on her arm.

According to the journalist, this is not the first such behavior by the supervisor, who has previously committed multiple acts of violence and misconduct against them.

It has not been possible to obtain a comment from the Penitentiary Service of the Ministry of Justice regarding the matter.

A few weeks ago, Aygul Babayeva also used violence against Abzas Media’s imprisoned editor-in-chief, Sevinj Vagifgizi. Vagifgizi herself reported the incident, stating that while on her way to make a phone call to her family, she approached the vent of the cell where her colleague Elnara Gasimova was being held to greet her. At that moment, Aygul Babayeva forcefully grabbed her arm and pushed her toward the wall.

In November of last year, violence was also used against Abzas Media's imprisoned editor-in-chief Sevinj Vagifgizi and reporters Nargiz Absalamova and Elnara Gasimova after they protested the blocking of their cell vents in the women’s ward. The supervisors trapped Sevinj Vagifgizi’s arm between the vent door, causing bruising. When Nargiz Absalamova objected to this, she was insulted by senior officer Aziza Mammadova.

A supervisor named Vahid also threatened the prisoners and coerced them into giving false statements against Elnara Gasimova. They were forced to write in their statements that they had witnessed the journalist assaulting a supervisor.

Since November 2023, six employees of Abzas Media, which conducts corruption investigations in Azerbaijan, have been imprisoned. These include director Ulvi Hasanli, his deputy Mahammad Kekalov, editor-in-chief Sevinj Vagifgizi, reporters Nargiz Absalamova and Elnara Gasimova, and investigative journalist Hafiz Babali.

In May of last year, journalist of “Radio Liberty (Azadlıq Radiosu)” and economist Farid Mehralizade was also arrested as part of the “Abzas Media” case. On the same day, Abzas Media issued a statement declaring that it had no professional ties with Mehralizade.

Initially, all the journalists were charged with smuggling.

In August, the charges against those arrested in the “Abzas Media” case were escalated. Considering the additional accusations brought forward by the investigation, the journalists now face prison sentences ranging from 8 to 12 years.

Local and international human rights organizations regard these prosecutions as politically motivated and are calling for the release of the detainees and the withdrawal of charges against them.