The arrest of Nargiz Absalamova followed those of two members of Abzas Media’s leadership — including Editor-in-Chief Sevinj Vagifqizi and Director Ulvi Hasanli — who were also detained on similar charges. Azerbaijani police reportedly discovered €40,000 in cash during a search of the newsroom, an amount the outlet accuses law enforcement of having deliberately planted to justify the arrests. 

The prosecutions and convictions of Nargiz and other journalists are viewed by numerous human rights and press freedom organisations — including ACAT-France, Amnesty International, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), and RSF — as an attempt to silence their investigative work on the environment, women’s rights, and freedom of expression. This is a politically motivated crackdown, and their situation is emblematic of the dangers faced by journalists in Azerbaijan, a country where President Ilham Aliyev’s regime suppresses and represses freedom of expression. 

This is not the first time Nargiz Absalamova has been targeted. She was subjected to four arbitrary detentions between 2020 and 2021, as well as police violence and 

ill-treatment in connection with protests. Throughout her career, she has investigated the harmful impacts of government policies on local communities and participated in rallies for environmental justice, while supporting initiatives to protect natural resources in Azerbaijan. 

On 22nd June 2023, Nargiz, accompanied by colleagues Elesever Muradzade and Nigyar Mubariz, attempted to cover protests related to an environmental scandal caused by British mining company Anglo Asian Mining PLC in the village of Soyüdlu, near the Gadabay gold mine. The protests — sparked by concerns about water and soil pollution — were violently suppressed, illustrating the Aliyev regime’s determination to silence all critical voices. Despite a state of siege, the journalists managed to bypass police roadblocks, but were quickly apprehended and expelled, preventing any media coverage of the events. 

On 28th January 2026, RSF organised an action in support of the 25 journalists imprisoned in Azerbaijan, including Nargiz Absalamova. Despite everything, Nargiz and other journalists continue their work, writing about their conditions of detention. 

ACAT-France demands the immediate and unconditional release of Nargiz Absalamova and all imprisoned journalists in Azerbaijan. The charges of ‘foreign currency smuggling’ are entirely fabricated and serve solely to silence dissident voices and independent media. We call for the minimum standards for the treatment of prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules) to be respected and for an end to the use of the law as a tool for suppressing dissent.