Sevinj Vagifqizi and Ulvi Hasanli were transferred to the detention center in Kurdakhani – News | Latest News | Latest News
Lawyers say they will appeal the decision
On November 22, the director of “AbzasMedia” Ulvi Hasanli and the editor-in-chief Sevinj Abbasova (Vagifqizi) were transferred to the Baku Detention Center located in Kurdakhani.
Their lawyers told Meydan TV that they will file an appeal on November 23 against the decision of the Khatai District Court to impose a 4-month preventive measure on both of them for the preliminary investigation period.
A number of international organizations condemned the arrest of Ulvi Hasanli and Sevinj Vagifgizy.
The Norwegian Helsinki Committee, in a statement released on the “X” social network, condemned the arrest of Ulvi Hasanli and Sevinj Vagifgiz, and called on the Azerbaijani authorities to stop the pressure on independent media.
Before that, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) made the same call to the Azerbaijani authorities.
“The arrest warrant against Ulvi Hasanli and Sevinj Vagifqizi is an example of the government’s crackdown on free media. The goal is to silence AbzasMedia’s bold anti-corruption news.”– CPJ representative Cipsy Güllen Kayzer said.
Ulvi Hasanli was arrested on November 20 around 5 o’clock in the morning while getting into a taxi in front of his house.
Sevinj Vagifqizi was detained at Baku airport at around 2 o’clock in the night on November 21 when the plane landed.
On November 20, a search was conducted in the office of “Abzas Media” and Ulvi Hasanli’s house, and immediately after the arrest of Sevinj Vagifgzi, at around 3 o’clock in the morning, the apartment where he lives was searched.
It was claimed that 40,000 euros were found in the site’s office.
Ulvi Hasanli said that there was no money there, that 40,000 euros were deposited in the office by those who claimed to have found it.
Both Ulvi Hasanli and Sevinj Vagifgizin were charged with Article 206.3.2 (smuggling by a group of people) of the Criminal Code.
They said that this accusation is absurd, that they were arrested because of the activities of “Abzas Media”, specifically, corruption investigations. This article provides for imprisonment from 5 to 8 years.