On 12 August, the Baku Court of Appeal held a preparatory hearing in the “Abzas Media case", chaired by Judge Zafar Ahmadov.

During the session, female journalists from the outlet were subjected to violence, and all defence motions were rejected.

Lawyers asked the court to transfer Ulvi Hasanli, Mahammad Kekalov, Hafiz Babali and Farid Mehralizade from Umbakı prison to the Baku Pretrial Detention Centre. The judge refused. Another request - to allow male and female defendants to sit together, or for the women to sit next to their lawyers, was also denied, despite this arrangement having been allowed during the first trial.

Instead, Sevinj Vagifgizi, Nargiz Absalamova and Elnara Gasimova were kept in a far corner of the courtroom, behind glass. Because the microphones weren’t working, they couldn’t hear what was being said and protested.

“Why have you brought us here? You’re just putting on a show. We can’t hear anything,” they said, banging on the glass and demanding an explanation.

The judge accused them of “causing a disturbance” and ordered them out of the courtroom. Vagifgizi responded: “You can’t do anything to us. What you say has no authority. You are a servant of Ilham Aliyev.”

All defendants said they will refuse to attend future hearings if they continue under these conditions. When the women were escorted out, Penitentiary Service staff pushed and shoved them.

The next hearing is set for 26 August.

The case against “Abzas Media” began in November 2023, after the outlet published a series of corruption investigations involving President Ilham Aliyev and his inner circle. In May 2024, “Radio Free Europe” journalist and economist Farid Mehralizade was also arrested in connection with the case.

The journalists are accused of smuggling and serious financial crimes - charges they reject as politically motivated. Local and international human rights groups have also condemned the case

In June, the Baku Court of Serious Crimes sentenced Hasanli, Vagifgizi, Babali and Mehralizade to nine years in prison. Absalamova and Gasimova received eight years, while Kekalov was given seven and a half years.