In the early morning of May 7, 2025, Ulviyya Ali, a former correspondent for VOA Azerbaijan Service, was arrested by police in Baku. During the arrest, police ransacked her apartment and claimed to find €6,000 in cash. Later that day, she was charged in the Khatai District Court with “conspiring to smuggle foreign currency” under Article 206.3.2 of Azerbaijan’s penal code.
Ali and independent observers describe the accusations as groundless and as retaliation for her extensive reporting on human rights abuses in Azerbaijan. Since May 2025, she has been held in pretrial detention in Baku, where she has reportedly experienced serious health problems and been denied adequate medical care.
During her arrest and detention, Ali has reported experiencing physical violence and hard detention conditions. After refusing to provide police with her phone’s password, she said she was “hit on the head several times” and subsequently vomited repeatedly. She has since reported severe abdominal pain, but requests for improved conditions and medical care have reportedly gone unanswered. Despite her detention, Ali continues to write and report from prison, highlighting fellow inmates’ experiences and the violence and isolation they face.
Ali’s work for VOA between 2019 and 2025 included more than 500 reports and articles covering political court cases, demonstrations, and human rights violations. She has worked as a journalist and photographer since 2012, focusing on human rights and freedom of expression in Azerbaijan and using her social media platforms to draw attention to government abuses.
On January 26, 2026, an application was filed on Ali’s behalf with the European Court of Human Rights. On March 2, 2026, the court confirmed receipt of the application. The notice acknowledged receipt and registration of the case but did not address its admissibility or merits. The application remains pending. A similar application has also been filed with the European Human Rights Advocacy Centre.
Ali’s arrest and detention are part of a broader crackdown on independent media in Azerbaijan that began in 2023, primarily targeting journalists associated with Abzas Media and Meydan TV. Authorities have sought to link Ali to Meydan TV, alleging that she worked for the outlet and received foreign funding. Prior to her arrest, she had been interrogated and subjected to a travel ban based on alleged ties to Meydan TV. Ali and Meydan TV both deny any business relationship.
RFE/RL contributor Farid Mehralizada, who also provided commentary to Abzas Media, was arrested in May 2024 and later convicted on the same currency smuggling charges brought against Ali.
Press freedom organizations have condemned Ali’s arrest and detention as an attempt to silence critical reporting. The Committee to Protect Journalists said her arrest “underline(s) how intent Azerbaijani authorities are on wiping out any trace of independent reporting” and called on authorities to “release Ali…and swiftly investigate disturbing allegations of police mistreatment.” Several U.S. senators, including Jeanne Shaheen, raking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, have described her imprisonment as “unjust” and called for her release.