Azerbaijani Activist Reportedly Tortured, While "Abzas Media" Director Goes Missing in Custody

Haji Valiyev

Grave concerns are mounting over the well-being of independent voices in Azerbaijan, as reports emerge of alleged torture against a prominent activist in custody, while the director of an investigative media outlet has been unreachable for five days following his transfer to a new detention facility. Both cases underscore a deepening crackdown on critical reporting and activism in the country.

Haji Valiyev: Allegations of Torture and Solitary Confinement

Haji Valiyev, a participant in the Second Karabakh War and the former chairman of the now-defunct "Young Veterans" Public Union, is reportedly being subjected to torture while in pre-trial detention. His relatives first raised alarms on June 27, stating that during a phone call, Valiyev indicated he had sustained a head injury, making it difficult for him to speak.

Further details emerged on June 30, following a visit by his lawyer, Aqil Layic. According to Layic, Valiyev recounted that on June 23, the head of the institution attempted to make him sign a document. Upon reviewing the text, Valiyev discovered it was an admission of voluntarily violating internal disciplinary rules. He refused to sign, and was immediately placed in solitary confinement ("karser") from June 23 to June 27.

Valiyev alleged that during this period, an ensign named Tural subjected him to physical and psychological violence, resulting in two abrasions on his head from hitting a tile. His lawyer noted that Valiyev was significantly weakened and could barely walk, a condition he attributed to a hunger strike he began on June 21 in protest of his arrest.

Valiyev, known for publicizing the issues faced by war veterans and martyrs' families, was detained by police on March 31, 2025, after releasing a video on March 18 about police intervention against street-vending veterans. He faces charges under Articles 221.3 (hooliganism with the use of weapons or force) and 186.1 (intentional destruction or damage of property) of the Criminal Code, all of which he denies. The "Young Veterans" Public Union, established in 2021, ceased its activities on May 28, 2025, following Valiyev's arrest.

The defense has reportedly appealed to the Penitentiary Service and the Ombudsman's Office regarding these serious allegations, but no official comment has been obtained from these or other relevant state bodies. The Penitentiary Service typically denies claims of torture in its facilities.

Ulvi Hasanli: Unreachable After Prison Transfer

Meanwhile, the family of Ulvi Hasanli, director of the independent "Abzas Media" outlet, has reported no contact with him for five days. Hasanli was sentenced to nine years in prison on June 20, 2025, as part of the high-profile "Abzas Media case."

He was transferred to the Penitentiary Complex in Umbakı, Baku, on June 26. While other journalists implicated in the same case and moved to the same facility have since contacted their families, Hasanli has been unable to make even a phone call.

His wife, Rubaba Guliyeva, has contacted the Penitentiary Service hotline, which registered her appeal, but calls to the Ombudsman's Office have gone unanswered.

Concerns are heightened by reports that Hasanli protested his transfer from the Baku Pre-trial Detention Center to Umbakı, threatening a hunger strike if held there. His family fears he may have been placed in a disciplinary cell ("kars") as a result of this protest.

The "Abzas Media case" saw harsh sentences handed down on June 20, with Ulvi Hasanli, Sevinj Vagifgizi, Hafiz Babali, and Farid Mehralizade each receiving nine years. Nargiz Absalamova and Elnara Gasimova were sentenced to eight years, and Mahammad Kekalov to seven years and six months.

The arrests of "Abzas Media" staff began in November 2023, while they were conducting corruption investigations. The journalists consistently deny the charges, asserting that their arrests are politically motivated reprisals for their investigative work. Both local and international human rights organizations echo these concerns, labeling the arrests politically motivated and calling for the immediate release of all detained journalists.