On March 11, imprisoned "Abzas Media" journalist Elnara Gasimova gave an open statement in court. During the hearing at the Baku Court on Grave Crimes, the journalist stated that they were arrested as a result of a politically motivated order due to the investigations published by "Abzas Media."

We present Elnara Gasimova’s statement in full:

"While filming, I have never told my interviewees, 'Do not talk about this topic or this person, we won’t be able to publish it.' The lens of our small camera has always been open to everyone and their words. It is precisely because we worked independently that today we find ourselves sharing different cells within the same prison walls. Instead of addressing the issues we shed light on—corruption and other violations—the government targeted "Abzas Media" because of these investigations.

"Abzas Media" is a professional outlet, best known for its work on corruption and judicial investigations. I take pride in working with "Abzas Media" precisely because of its professionalism, its courage to challenge those who consider themselves untouchable, and its unwavering commitment to publishing the truth no matter what.

Beyond investigations into the president’s family and high-ranking officials, "Abzas Media" has also published video stories, reports on socio-economic, public, political, and environmental issues.

For example, when the residents of Soyudlu village in Gadabay protested the poisoning of their lake with cyanide, and when the village was subsequently put under blockade and journalists were expelled, "Abzas Media" remained there, covering the residents' protests and their problems. In addition, we have published reports on children forced into begging, families compelled to adjust their menus due to rising costs, regions lacking schools and medical centers, and citizens whose rights were violated by law enforcement officers.

Freedom of expression and media freedom are the first rights that authoritarian regimes try to suppress. We are neither the first nor the last journalists to be imprisoned in this country.

The Azerbaijani press has existed for more than a century and has endured various regimes. Its representatives have faced repression, persecution, and pressure. Yet, despite all this, journalism has survived because there will always be those who speak the truth. Today, independent journalists like us face similar pressures, and those who are disturbed by our work have imprisoned us.

I am an "Abzas Media" journalist, and all of us have been arrested as part of a politically motivated order because of the investigations published by "Abzas Media." Instead of holding accountable the officials exposed in these investigations, they are prosecuting us in their place.

Those who truly deserve to be in prison are the ones who have spent years plundering what rightfully belongs to the citizens of this country, whose greed for looting knows no bounds.

For years, those who wanted to speak out were silenced with the excuse of 'we have the Karabakh issue.' However, the very people who used Karabakh as a pretext have left the displaced persons of the region to live in crumbling, inadequate dormitories and shantytowns near railway tracks for nearly thirty years.

Those who should be in prison are the ones who have enriched their own children with stolen wealth and privileges from a young age, ensuring they have the very best of everything. Meanwhile, in the country they govern, there are children who cannot afford an education, who grow up half-starved, who are forced into begging and hard labor from a young age.

But instead of those criminals, it is independent journalists like us who are being imprisoned by their orders.

I have been working as an independent journalist for about six years. For the past year, I have been in prison solely because I am a journalist and because I collaborated with "Abzas Media." This does not surprise me. Given the current system, I always knew that if I continued working as an independent journalist in this country, my path would inevitably lead to prison. In fact, I am surprised that the law has not yet been changed to allow for the immediate execution of independent journalists without a trial.

Those who choose to work as independent journalists may have different personal and professional reasons. But financial gain is never the main motivation. No amount of money could justify enduring the violence, pressure, and, as we see now, the risk of imprisonment that comes with this work.

I am deeply concerned about the fate of this country’s citizens. They are ruled by a government that does not recognize their rights, tramples on them, oppresses them, forces them to live on the edge of survival, and refuses to be held accountable. The imprisonment of independent journalists means leaving citizens defenseless against this system.

Regarding the case files, the 27 volumes of materials that the investigator brought in parts inside a travel suitcase contain nothing but baseless nonsense. None of us accused in the "Abzas Media case" have committed any crime. Instead, we have engaged in journalism, which in this country’s unwritten laws is considered a crime.

Even the investigator, who knows the case is fabricated, and the prosecutor, who prepared the indictment without properly reviewing the case materials, did not bother to examine them thoroughly. They are certain that the judges presiding over our case will issue rulings based on orders from above. Lately, political imprisonment alone has not been enough—now, activists and journalists are also being stripped of their hard-earned property through sham verdicts. I am certain that you, the judges, have not read the case materials. Therefore, let me inform you in advance so that you do not harm another citizen with your verdict. Among the documents in my file are notarized records related to real estate. However, one fundamental discrepancy exposes the incompetence of the investigation: the name in those documents is 'Elnara Bahaddin qizi Gasimova,' while my father’s name is actually 'Bahadar,' not 'Bahaddin.'

The investigative authorities have kept me in unlawful detention for over a year, yet they still have not even realized this basic fact. We do not expect such an investigative body to conduct a fair and proper inquiry—not in our case and not in any case concerning ordinary citizens.

In the detention center where we are held, one of the first questions people ask each other is, 'Where were you arrested?' or 'Who arrested you?' The first time I was asked this, I answered without double thinking: Ilham Aliyev. We were arrested by his order. Because in this country, he only wants journalists who work under his command.

But no matter what he does, he will never turn us into submissive, obedient, state-controlled journalists. It does not matter where we are or what awaits us. We will continue practicing journalism, and we will continue to create discomfort for those in power. And we will never apologize for it."

Elnara Gasimova, March 11, 2025