Bravery Behind Bars: Sevinj Vaqifqizi Receives International Award

Sevinj Vaqifqizi

Sevinj Vaqifqizi, the jailed editor of the Azerbaijan news source AbzasMedia, will receive the 2025 Anna Politkovskaya–Arman Soldin Award for Courage in Journalism. The award, announced at the Lille Higher School of Journalism in France, recognizes her loyalty to the truth in a country where a free press is hard to maintain.

The award is named for Anna Politkovskaya and Arman Soldin, who lost their lives for reporting. Politkovskaya, a Russian reporter, was killed in 2006 for her stories on corruption and the Chechen war. Soldin, a reporter for AFP, was killed in 2023 while covering the Russian invasion of Ukraine. By honoring Vaqifqizi, the world shows the importance of reporters who continue their work in conflict areas and authoritarian regimes.

This isn't the first time Vaqifqizi’s courage has been noted. She also received the Press Freedom Award for Courage from Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and was named an Anti-Corruption Champion by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Gunel Safarova, the acting director of AbzasMedia, said that these awards are proof of the voices that the government has tried to silence in a country where over 30 reporters have been penalized for their work.

Vaqifqizi's situation has been risky. She was arrested in November 2023 as part of the AbzasMedia case and sentenced in June 2025 to nine years in jail on charges of smuggling and financial crimes. Her colleagues, including director Ulvi Hasanli and several reporters, received sentences of seven to nine years. The Azerbaijani government says these arrests are based on criminal acts, but human rights groups and the reporters believe the charges are retaliation for their investigations into government corruption.

Even in jail, Vaqifqizi is a symbol of strength. She said that while governments may fear the power of words, the truth lives on through the work of others who continue independent journalism. RSF calls her a symbol of dignity and hope, which shows the global support for people who stand up to injustice. Activists recently at the COP30 conference in Brazil called for the release of Vaqifqizi and her colleagues, reminding everyone that courage in journalism is key to a free society.