“The cell where Sevinj Vagifgiz was kept was flooded” |

“He told me there was no heat in the cell”

Sevinj Vagifgizi (Abbasova), the imprisoned editor-in-chief of “AbzasMedia” is dissatisfied with the conditions in Baku Detention Center No. 1, where he is detained.

His lawyer Elchin Sadigov informed about this.

He said that the situation in the cell where Sevinj Vagifgiz is kept is deplorable:

“He told me that there was no heat in the cell. The chamber was flooded as a result of the explosion of the pipes of the heating system..

The lawyer also said that on March 19, under the chairmanship of Baku Appellate Court Judge Elmar Rahimov, the appeal against the decision of the Khatai District Court regarding the extension of the detention measure against Sevinj Vagifqizi was considered. As expected, the appeal was not upheld.

It was not possible to learn the attitude of the Penitentiary Service regarding the journalist’s complaint.

Arrested on November 21, 2023, Sevinj Vagifgizin was charged under Article 206.3.2 (smuggling) of the Criminal Code. He does not accept the accusations, saying that his arrest was related to his journalistic activities.

Since the end of last year, more than 10 journalists have been arrested in Azerbaijan.

In the “AbzasMedia” case, the site’s director Ulvi Hasanli, deputy director, social activist Mahammad Kekalov, and editor-in-chief Sevinj Vagifqizi were arrested.

After that, investigative journalist Hafiz Babaly, reporters Nargiz Absalamova and Elnara Gasimova were arrested.

Each of them is charged with Article 206.3.2 (smuggling by a group of persons) of the Criminal Code. With this article, they are sentenced to 5 to 8 years of imprisonment.

Journalists associate their arrests with purely professional activities.

On March 6, the police raided the office of “Toplum TV” and searched the office, the homes of several employees of the site, including the office of the Third Republican Platform. It was reported that 30,000 euros were found in the office of the III Republican Platform, and 2,700, 3,100 and 20,000 euros were found in the homes of the site employees.

Akif Gurbanova, Farid Ismayilova, Mushfiq Jabbara, Ali Zeynala, Ramil Babayeva, Elmir Abbasova and Ilkin Amrahova were charged with 206.3.2 (smuggling).

On March 8, lawyer Alasgar Mammadli, one of the founders of “Toplum TV”, was detained by plain clothes in front of the “Istanbul” Clinic. On the same day, the police also detained Ruslan Izzatli, a member of the Founding Committee of the Third Republican Platform. Both houses were searched. It was claimed that 7300 dollars were found in Alasgar Mammadli’s house.

Ruslan Izzatli’s wife Gunel Manafli noted that “money was found” in their house. Among those detained in connection with this case are Alasgar Mammadli (founder of Toplum TV), Mushfiq Jabbar (Toplum TV), Akif Gurbanov (III Republican Platform), Ruslan Izzateli (III Republican Platform), Ramil Babayev (Institute of Democratic Initiatives), Ilkin Amrahov (Institute of Democratic Initiatives), Ali Zeynal (Institute of Democratic Initiatives) were charged under Article 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code (smuggling – when committed by a group of persons who conspired in advance). They consider themselves to be the accused.