Another journalist was accused of smuggling in Azerbaijan

In Baku, the editor-in-chief of the online publication Abzas Media, Sevinj Vagifgyzy, was charged under Article 206.3.3 of the Criminal Code (smuggling committed by a group of persons by prior conspiracy). She was detained as a suspect.

According to lawyer Elchin Sadigov, there is no evidence against Vagifgyzy. The journalist denied the accusation and connected it with her professional activities, in particular with Abzas Media’s investigations into corruption.

According to the accused, during her arrest she was subjected to violence by the police. After this, Vagifgyzy complained to her colleagues about feeling unwell and nauseated.

Among the journalist’s publications are several investigations into corruption and election fraud in Azerbaijan. It should be noted that the director of Abzas Media, Ulvi Hasanli, was detained under the same article of the Criminal Code. International journalistic and human rights organizations demanded his release.

Последние новости
Another drone attack repelled in Rostov Oblast; region also used as launch point for strikes on Ukraine
Chronicle of Wars and Crimes
Another drone attack repelled in Rostov Oblast; region also used as launch point for strikes on Ukraine
19 October 2026

On the night of October 19, Rostov Oblast was once again among the Russian regions targeted by drones. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, a total of 149 Ukrainian drones were shot down over Russian territory throughout the night.

MMA fighter from Chechnya hospitalized following a brawl involving gunfire in Vladikavkaz
Society
MMA fighter from Chechnya hospitalized following a brawl involving gunfire in Vladikavkaz
18 October 2026

Mixed martial arts fighter Ibragim Islamov, known by the nickname "Nikarkho," sustained a gunshot wound from a non-lethal (traumatic) pistol during an altercation in the center of Vladikavkaz. Two people were injured in the incident, both of whom were hospitalized. The North Ossetia branch of the Russian Interior Ministry has opened a criminal case, and one of the individuals involved has been detained.

Azerbaijan marks 35 years of independence—33 of which have seen the country ruled by a single family
Society
Azerbaijan marks 35 years of independence—33 of which have seen the country ruled by a single family
18 October 2026

On October 18, Azerbaijan celebrates the Day of the Restoration of Independence. It was on this date in 1991 that the republic’s Supreme Soviet adopted a Constitutional Act, formalizing the country’s departure from the Soviet system and the restoration of its state sovereignty.

US Congressman Calls Kobakhidze’s Meeting with Iranian President an “Insult to Trump”
Politics
US Congressman Calls Kobakhidze’s Meeting with Iranian President an “Insult to Trump”
18 October 2026

American Republican Congressman Joe Wilson has criticized Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze for holding talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. The meeting took place in Yerevan on the sidelines of the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP17).