“Abzas Media” journalists refuse from taking part in trial

The court session on the “Abzas Media” case was postponed due to the defendants’ refusal to participate in the hearings in protest against their inhuman treatment. Farid Mekhralizade, an economist, said that he was forcibly brought to the court.

On December 28, 2024, at the hearing on the “Abzas Media” case, journalists and their advocates managed to secure access of media professionals to the courtroom. The “Reporters without Borders” have called for the release of the journalists from independent media outlets arrested in Azerbaijan. On January 21, Ulvi Gasanli, Director of the “Abzas Media”, declared the innocence of the outlet's journalists. He is convinced that he and his colleagues are persecuted for their journalistic activities.

The website of the “Abzas Media” reports that the SIZO (pre-trial prison) employees have not yet been punished for the violence against the arrested “Abzas Media” journalists. The reason for the violence against journalists was "making public the lawlessness practiced at the SIZO."

On July 31, 2024, Ulvi Gasanli, Director of the “Abzas Media”, who is kept at the Baku SIZO-1, posted an article about the torture used against SIZO inmates. Last October, he stated that after the above post, torture conditions were created for him at the SIZO. In November 2024, Nargiz Absalamova and Elnara Gasymova received traumas during a conflict with SIZO wardens; while Sevindj Vagifgyzy, the editor-in-chief, complained of pressure and discrimination from the SIZO staff.

Namizad Safarov, a legal expert and a former member of the Azerbaijan Bar Association, has explained that, according to the law, defendants have the right to refuse to participate in the trial. However, such refusal does not deprive them of the right to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).