Reporters Without Borders Demands the Release of Azerbaijani Journalist

The international organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) issued a statement on the case of Farid Mehralizade, an economist and contributor to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. RSF emphasizes that his appeal will be heard on March 6 and calls for the immediate release of Mehralizade, as well as all other journalists in custody in Azerbaijan.

Farid Mehralizade was arrested in May 2024 in a case related to the publication Abzas Media. In June 2025, he was sentenced to nine years in prison. The appellate court upheld this decision, and the case is now pending appeal.

It should also be noted that in June 2025, a Baku court sentenced Abzas Media director Ulvi Hasanli to nine years in prison. Abzas Media editor-in-chief Sevinj Vagifgizi, investigative journalist Hafiz Babali, and economist Farid Mehralizade received similar sentences. Other journalists received slightly shorter prison terms: Nargiz Absalamova and Elnara Gasimova received eight years each, and Mohammed Kekalov received seven years.

They were initially charged with smuggling foreign currency. The charges were later increased to include large-scale illegal entrepreneurship, money laundering by an organized group, document falsification, and group tax evasion. The journalists deny their guilt and claim they are being persecuted for investigating corruption in the highest echelons of power in Azerbaijan.

According to the Council of Europe, Azerbaijan ranks first in Europe for the number of journalists arrested and convicted. At the end of 2025, there were 36 such journalists in the country.

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