Both journalists were detained on politically motivated accusations in separate incidents marked by police violence.
This statement was originally published on europeanjournalists.org on 8 May 2025.
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) strongly condemn the recent arrest and reported mistreatment of two independent journalists in Azerbaijan – Ulviyya Ali (Guliyeva) and Ahmad Mammadli – as part of a deepening crackdown on press freedom in the country.
Both journalists were detained this week in separate incidents marked by police violence, arbitrary detention, and politically motivated accusations. Their arrests bring the total number of journalists jailed in Azerbaijan to at least 24, according to Reporters Without Borders, amid what has become a full-scale assault on independent media.
Ulviyya Ali, a contributor to Voice of America, was arrested on 7 May after months under a travel ban linked to the broader criminal case against Meydan TV. Although Meydan TV has publicly stated that Ali never worked for them, Azerbaijani authorities have remanded her to nearly two months of pre-trial detention on smuggling charges – an accusation frequently used to silence dissenting voices.
Her mother, Ilhama Guliyeva, told OC Media that Ali was hit on the head and beaten during the arrest. The family reported that her apartment was not only raided but “destroyed” during the search. Authorities confiscated her laptop and personal belongings and prohibited direct contact between mother and daughter, allowing only food and water to be passed through.
In a note written prior to her arrest and shared publicly after her detention, Ali stated:
“This may be the last post I write in freedom. But I believe that the righteous voice cannot be silenced. Journalism is not a crime!”
On the same day, Ahmad Mammadli, founder of Yoldash Media and a former civil society activist, was also detained. He has long used digital platforms to document labour rights violations and political repression in Azerbaijan. According to his wife, Turkan Mammadli, he was tortured with electroshocks and severely beaten by police after refusing to unlock his phone. His face was reportedly bruised, and his health is in critical condition.
Pro-government media later alleged that Mammadli stabbed a man during a dispute over a taxi seat – an accusation widely regarded by local activists as fabricated. Mammadli had previously been banned from leaving the country and was under investigation in early 2024 for allegedly attempting to evade military service, charges he denies.
These arrests are part of a broader, systematic repression of independent journalism in Azerbaijan. Since late 2023, more than 30 journalists and media workers have been arrested, including the entire teams of Meydan TV and Toplum TV.
The EFJ and IFJ join local and international organisations in calling for the immediate release of Ulviyya Ali, Ahmad Mammadli, and all other jailed journalists in Azerbaijan. We condemn the use of physical violence, smear campaigns, and politically motivated charges as tools to intimidate and silence the press.
