NARGIZ ABSALAMOVA
Journalist with Abzas Media, currently imprisoned on disputed charges, known for her contribution to investigative reports exposing government corruption.
About Nargiz Absalamova
At twenty-six years old, Nargiz Absalamova is one of the journalists imprisoned in Azerbaijan in connection with a criminal case involving Abzas Media, a media outlet known for its investigations into corruption.
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.
Over the past few years, Absalamova has faced increasing pressure and police violence whilst carrying out her professional duties.
On 4 August 2021, whilst covering a protest by feminist activists in front of the Police Department of Khazar district in Baku, Absalamova was detained along with several other journalists. Alongside her colleagues, she was subjected to physical and psychological abuse at the police station, a claim that was later substantiated by evidence including an audio recording.
On 28 December 2022, during a protest against a new media law in front of the Parliament building in Baku, she was knocked to the ground by police, resulting in a spinal injury. According to a medical report, her tailbone was fractured and penetrated her muscle.
On 20 June 2023, Absalamova faced police pressure once again whilst covering protests in the village of Soyudlu in the Gadabay district of Azerbaijan, where local residents were demonstrating against the creation of a cyanide lake from toxic waste discharged by a gold factory. She was removed from the village with a colleague, her phone was confiscated, and the footage she had captured was deleted. She was sent back to Baku after being detained.
In November 2023, shortly after the launch of a criminal case against Abzas Media and the arrest of its leadership, Nargiz Absalamova was interrogated as a witness in this case at the Main Police Department of Baku City. She was summoned again to testify as a witness a few days later; however, this time she was detained and charged under Article 206.3.2 of Azerbaijan’s Criminal Code (smuggling by a group of persons).
In August 2024, at the end of the investigation into Abzas Media, Absalamova was burdened with additional charges along with other journalists from Abzas Media. These included illegal entrepreneurship involving substantial profits (Article 192.3.2), money laundering by an organised group (Articles 193-1.3.1 and 193-1.3.2), smuggling by an organised group (Article 206.4), tax evasion by an organised group (Article 213.2.1) and forgery and use of forged documents (Articles 320.1 and 320.2).
The penalties for these charges include up to twelve years of imprisonment.
Nargiz Absalamova denies the charges, stating that she and her colleagues are being punished for Abzas Media’s reports, which exposed corruption within the government, including the ruling family.
Resources about Nargiz Absalamova
All of the Campaign’s resources are created under Creative Commons License under CC0 conditions, meaning these resources are public dedication tools, with no copyright, putt into the worldwide public domain.
Download blue background poster (PNG)
Download yellow background poster (PNG)
Download blue square picture (PNG)
Download yellow square pictuer (PNG)
EN 
AZ