Journalists in Azerbaijan Reporting from Behind Bars

Currently, dozens of journalists are imprisoned in Azerbaijan, a resource-rich and authoritarian country ruled for over two decades by its hereditary president, Ilham Aliyev. However, this situation has not prevented journalists from continuing their work. Imprisoned journalists in Azerbaijan have shared their stories about how they report from prison with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, despite lacking internet access. 29-year-old journalist Elnara Qasimova from the investigative site "Abzas Media" states, "News can be discovered anywhere, especially when you are in a detention center where everything is kept secret." Qasimova has been detained since January 2024 on charges including trafficking and money laundering, accusations that she and other journalists deny, with global human rights groups deeming them part of a broader crackdown on civil liberties and freedom of expression in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani authorities have also targeted journalists from media outlets such as "Toplum TV," "Meydan TV," and "Channel 13," and have arrested Farid Mehralizadeh, a journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Additionally, recently, the credentials of media organizations such as BBC, Voice of America, Bloomberg, and the Russian state news agency "Sputnik" have also been revoked. Radio Free Europe has called for the release of its journalist from Azerbaijani prison. Baku rejects criticisms regarding the state of press freedom in the country. Aliyev stated in April 2024 that Azerbaijan must preserve its media space from "negative foreign influence" and that "everyone must respect the law." Some imprisoned journalists in Azerbaijan, facing fabricated charges and potential sentences of up to 12 years, have decided to continue their journalism from behind bars. Qasimova says she could not remain silent and pretend to be unaware of what is happening around her. She has published reports on the treatment of prisoners, lack of medical care, and instances of violence. In a written interview from prison to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, she mentioned that shortly after entering the detention center, someone told her: "You were a journalist outside; here, you are no longer." Qasimova emphasized, "We have proven that a journalist is a journalist everywhere, and as long as we are detained, lawlessness, human rights violations, corruption, and violence will not remain hidden here." Human Rights Watch, in its latest report, criticized the "widespread pattern of torture and mistreatment of detainees" in Azerbaijan, citing reports prepared by Alvi Hasanli, the director of "Abzas Media," documenting at least 58 alleged cases of torture or mistreatment in the detention center where he is held. Qasimova states, "To report news in the detention center, the most important thing is to observe carefully and keep our eyes and ears open." She adds that studying the laws is also helpful in this regard. According to her, comparing laws with prison realities has helped journalists easily identify violations and turn them into news. However, this is not an easy task. Qasimova explains, "Our phone conversations are monitored live, and whenever we try to convey information about the detention center via phone, the call is immediately cut off." She refrained from explaining how news is transmitted outside the prison. She mentioned that relatives are still not allowed to bring notebooks or pens to the visiting room, and officials will confiscate them. Sevinc Vaqifqizi, her editor, was also arrested in November 2023 upon returning from Istanbul at Baku airport, an action he anticipated. Vaqifqizi had previously been arrested several times, and the European Court of Human Rights deemed a five-year travel ban imposed by Azerbaijani authorities in 2015 as "illegal." The 35-year-old Vaqifqizi also decided to report from prison. In a letter to Radio Free Europe, he wrote, "Although reports increase pressure and surveillance on us, they bring positive changes for other prisoners." According to Vaqifqizi, detention center staff refrain from violent behavior due to the exposure of violations. He states that after the published reports, hygiene items and clothing that had been withheld for over a year were finally delivered to the prisoners. Imprisoned journalists say that authorities are aware of their reports. Qasimova states, "They try to stop us in various ways, but these methods will not prevent us from doing what we believe is right."