Sevinj Vagifgizi: “We brought our popcorn and came to watch the show.”

On May 20, another hearing in the “Abzas Media case” was held. The state prosecutor requested a total of 80 years in prison for the journalists.

At the Baku Serious Crimes Court, prosecutor Rauf Malıshov demanded the following sentences:

•       12 years for Ulvi Hasanli, director of Abzas Media

•       11 years for editor-in-chief Sevinj Vagifgizi (Abbasova)

•       11 years for deputy director Mahammad Kekalov

•       11 years each for reporters Nargiz Absalamova and Elnara Gasimova

•       12 years for investigative journalist Hafiz Babali

•       12 years for “Radio Free Europe” journalist Farid Mehralizade

In addition, the prosecutor asked that each of the accused be banned for 3 years from holding any leadership or financially responsible positions.

The prosecution also requested the confiscation of Farid Mehralizade’s car and a total of 27,987 AZN from the defendants’ bank accounts.

The journalists responded to the prosecutor’s statement with laughter. Editor-in-chief Sevinj Vagifgizi remarked, “We brought our popcorn and came to watch the show.”

The defendants are charged under multiple articles of the Criminal Code, including smuggling in groups, smuggling by an organized group, illegal entrepreneurship, money laundering, tax evasion, and document forgery.

The next hearing is scheduled for June 10.

Since November 20, 2023, six Abzas Media staff members have been in custody: director Ulvi Hasanli, deputy Mammad Kekalov, editor-in-chief Sevinj Vagifgizi, and reporters Nargiz Absalamova and Elnara Gasimova, along with investigative journalist Hafiz Babali.

In May 2023, economist and “Radio Free Europe” journalist Farid Mehralizade was also arrested in connection with the case. That same day, Abzas Media issued a statement saying it had no professional affiliation with Mehralizade.

All the journalists deny the charges and claim their arrests are politically motivated, linked to their investigations into corruption.

Local and international human rights groups have condemned the case as politically driven and are calling for the journalists’ immediate release and for the charges to be dropped.