NARGIZ ABSALAMOVA
Journalist with Abzas Media, currently imprisoned on disputed charges, known for her contribution to investigative reports exposing government corruption.
About Nargiz Absalamova
Nargiz Absalamova was born on 17 July 1998 in Baku, Azerbaijan. From 2015 to 2019, she pursued a bachelor’s degree at the Faculty of Journalism of Baku State University. After graduating, Absalamova primarily worked as a freelance journalist. She has participated in training courses for journalists organised by the Institute for Democratic Initiatives, and collaborated with various media outlets, including Toplum TV, Mikroskop Media and Abzas Media.
Absalamova has a history of facing police violence and harassment while performing her duties. In 2021, she was detained and subjected to physical and psychological abuse while covering a protest. Another accident occurred when she suffered a spinal injury after being knocked to the ground by police during the protest against a new media law in front of the National Council (Parliament) in December 2022. In 2023, while reporting on a protest in the village of Soyudlu, her phone was confiscated, and her footage was deleted by authorities.
Case description
Initially interrogated as a witness in the criminal case against Abzas Media, Absalamova was arrested on 30 November 2023. She was initially charged with smuggling foreign currency. Later, the indictment was amended and authorities brought additional charges against her, including illegal entrepreneurship, money laundering, tax evasion, and document forgery.
Absalamova consistently denied all accusations, stating that the charges were fabricated in retaliation for Abzas Media’s investigative reporting on government corruption. On June 20, 2025, the Baku Court on Grave Crimes convicted her on the combined charges and sentenced her to eight years in prison. This conviction was part of a mass verdict against seven journalists and affiliates of Abzas Media.
While in prison, Absalamova has faced harsh conditions and alleged mistreatment. In July 2025, together with Sevinc Vagifgizi and Elnara Gasimova, Nargiz Absalamova went on a hunger strike to protest the prison conditions and transfer of their colleague, Ulvi Hasanli, to a remote prison. Reports from Abzas Media claim that during this time, she was subjected to physical pressure by a senior prison official, resulting in visible injuries.
On 23 September 2025, Nargiz Absalamova was transferred to the correctional labour complex in the village of Gurumba in Lankaran, over 250 kilometres from Baku, where her family lives.
Resources about Nargiz Absalamova
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