Jailed journalists
Ulviyya Guliyeva jailed in wide crackdown on Azeri media
Silencing of VOA made award-winning Azeri contributor 100% more vulnerable, expert says
Ulviyya Guliyeva is one of 25 journalists currently being imprisoned in Azerbaijan as part of a crackdown, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Also being held is RFE/RL contributor Farid Mehralizada.
Up until VOA’s Azerbaijani Service was silenced, Guliyeva was one of the country’s most prominent independent journalists. After VOA stopped broadcasting, she continued to report on political persecutions via her own social media platforms.
In early 2025, police had called Guliyeva in for questioning but released her without charge. On May 7, police searched her home and took Guliyeva into custody. Authorities are accused of beating her and threatening her with sexual violence.
Media advocate Emin Huseynov told CPJ that journalists like Guliyeva had a certain degree of protection in Azerbaijan because they were affiliated with international broadcasters. But when VOA fell silent it “100% made Ulviyya more vulnerable.”
In February, Free Press Unlimited named Guliyeva the Most Resilient Journalist. In remarks she sent via letter from prison, the journalist said: “I was honored with awards for my journalistic work while I was free. However, I must admit that the award I received while in prison has moved me even more deeply.”
“Since the age of 17, I have strived to contribute to human rights and serve the truth. Even knowing which country I live in — and that such activity in Azerbaijan often results in arrest — nothing could deter me from this path,” Guliyeva said, adding: “If anyone thinks that our influence will wane in prison, that our voices will no longer be heard, or that we cannot struggle as before within these walls, they are mistaken.”
Last updated February 26, 2026
Ulviyya Guliyeva
Country: Azerbaijan
Charge: Allegations of currency smuggling, charges punishable by up to eight years in prison
Sentence: Pretrial detention
Azerbaijan
For more than a decade, President Ilham Aliyev has moved to suppress critics in Azerbaijan, including through jailings. The harassment increased in late 2023 with more than a dozen arrests of journalists accused of sham charges such as money laundering. Nearly all independent journalism is done by journalists in exile or broadcasters like VOA who provide independent, accurate information to people living in the country. Spyware has been found on the phones of prominent investigative journalists. Critics warn that a journalism registry, which the government says it set up to improve media relations, will be used to further stifle independent reporting and make it even harder for freelance reporters to work. Azerbaijan is currently detaining a RFE/RL contributor and a VOA contributor.