Public activist Abulfaz Gurbanli questioned in the case of “Abzas Media”

Public activist Abulfaz Gurbanli was interrogated for three hours today at the Baku city Police Headquarters. After leaving the police department, Gurbanli told reporters that he had been questioned as a witness in the case by “Abzas Media.” However, according to the activist, he has nothing to do with this publication.

Gurbanli refrained from other comments due to obligations not to disclose the secrets of the investigation. He noted that the attitude towards him in the police was correct, no pressure was exerted. Gurbanli has been engaged in socio-political activities since 2002, and was a member of the Popular Front Party. He resigned from the party in 2015.

Since 2021, Gurbanli has been the co-founder and executive director of the public association “Article 54”. The organization promotes issues of public participation, public control, community development, etc.

** In November 2023 – January 2024, eight journalists and media workers associated with “Abzas Media” were arrested. In April, the head of the website was also arrested in this case meclis.info Imran Aliyev and the head of the Center for Election Monitoring and Democracy Education Anar Mammadli.

All the defendants in the case were charged with “smuggling of foreign currency by prior agreement.”  The journalist denies the charges and links the criminal case to corruption investigations. Aliyev and Mammadli declared their non-involvement in the activities of “Abzas Media” at all. Human rights activists recognized those arrested as political prisoners.