Women Journalists Behind Bars in Azerbaijan Face Violence, Threats and Denial of Medical Care
An international protection mechanism for human rights defenders has raised fresh concerns over the treatment of imprisoned women journalists in Azerbaijan, documenting allegations of physical violence, psychological pressure, sexual threats and prolonged denial of essential medical care.
ProtectDefenders.eu, the European Union Human Rights Defenders Mechanism, has drawn attention to the worsening conditions faced by independent journalists and human rights defenders imprisoned in Azerbaijan.
In an article titled “Defenders Under Siege in Azerbaijan,” published on August 31, 2026, the organisation describes what it sees as a broader crackdown on independent journalism and civil society, highlighting the cases of women detained in connection with the Meydan TV and Abzas Media prosecutions.
The findings raise a broader question: are prison conditions and access to medical treatment being used as additional instruments of pressure against journalists already deprived of their liberty?
Allegations of Violence Inside Baku Detention Facility
One of the most serious episodes cited by rights groups concerns journalists Aytac Tapdig (Ahmadova), Aysel Umudova and Khayala Aghayeva, who are detained in connection with the Meydan TV case.
According to accounts from the journalists and their relatives, the three women were subjected to physical violence inside Baku Pre-Trial Detention Facility No. 1 on February 18, 2026.
The incident followed a dispute over the treatment of the defendants during court proceedings. The detained journalists had protested against being kept inside a glass enclosure in the courtroom.
Days later, reports emerged that disciplinary measures had been taken against them.
According to information provided by Aytac Tapdig’s mother, Dilruba Amanova, detention facility officers entered the journalists’ cell, conducted a search and used physical force against the women. Tapdig’s condition reportedly deteriorated following the incident.
Independent reporting and human rights organisations subsequently documented allegations that the women had been subjected not only to physical force but also to insults, intimidation and psychological pressure.
ProtectDefenders.eu describes the incident as part of a pattern of coordinated intimidation against imprisoned journalists.
Sexual Violence Threat Allegation
Among the gravest allegations is a reported threat of sexual violence.
According to accounts cited by rights defenders, one of the detained journalists said that a senior official at the detention facility threatened her with sexual violence.
Such allegations are particularly serious because detainees are under the complete control of the state, leaving them highly vulnerable to abuse and retaliation.
The journalists sought an investigation and reportedly requested access to surveillance-camera footage that could help establish what happened inside the detention facility.
ProtectDefenders.eu says those efforts produced little meaningful response.
Instead of what the organisation describes as a credible investigation, the journalists were subsequently summoned and warned to be careful about their public statements.
The Penitentiary Service has denied allegations that violence was used against the detained journalists.
On February 25, representatives of Azerbaijan’s Ombudsperson’s Office met with the women and heard their complaints.
The central question, however, remains unresolved: was an independent and effective investigation conducted into the allegations, and what happened to the surveillance footage that could potentially verify or contradict the journalists’ accounts?
Medical Care as Another Form of Pressure
The allegations do not end with physical mistreatment.
ProtectDefenders.eu also highlights repeated difficulties faced by imprisoned women journalists seeking specialised medical treatment.
The organisation warns that denial or prolonged obstruction of essential healthcare may be developing into another layer of pressure against detained journalists and human rights defenders.
Aytac Tapdig
Aytac Tapdig has been detained for roughly 19 months.
According to ProtectDefenders.eu, she suffers from a worsening respiratory condition but has not received the specialised medical treatment she requires.
Her case has also drawn attention from international press freedom and human rights organisations.
The concern is particularly significant because prolonged detention can aggravate existing health problems, while prisoners remain dependent on the authorities for access to specialists, diagnostic procedures and treatment.
Ulviyya Ali
Journalist Ulviyya Ali (Guliyeva) has also reportedly struggled for months to obtain permission for medical imaging related to a pre-existing health condition.
Her situation became more urgent in July 2026 when she reported abnormal uterine bleeding.
According to the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, she required an urgent gynaecological examination and ultrasound recommended by her private doctor, but the necessary medical assistance had still not been provided at the time of the organisation’s report.
Nargiz Absalamova
The situation of Nargiz Absalamova, an Abzas Media journalist serving an eight-year prison sentence, has generated similar concern.
Absalamova has suffered from chronic sinusitis since adolescence. Her relatives say her condition has deteriorated in detention, causing breathing difficulties and severe headaches.
For more than six months, she has reportedly sought permission for an MRI examination without success.
Amnesty International has also raised her case, stating that repeated requests for medical examinations had failed to produce adequate action.
According to Amnesty, Absalamova’s lawyer appealed to both the prison administration and the Ombudsperson’s Office. The organisation reported that prison officials told her the examination required approval “from above.”
Her condition reportedly deteriorated further following her transfer to the Lankaran Penitentiary Complex.
A Pattern Beyond Individual Cases
Taken separately, each allegation raises serious questions about Azerbaijan’s treatment of prisoners.
Taken together, they suggest something more systematic.
Women journalists imprisoned in different media-related cases have reported overlapping problems: physical violence, threats, psychological pressure, restrictions on communication and prolonged obstacles to obtaining medical examinations.
ProtectDefenders.eu argues that these cases must be understood within the broader deterioration of Azerbaijan’s civic space.
The organisation notes that at least 11 journalists associated with Meydan TV were arrested between December 2024 and August 2025.
A parallel prosecution targeted Abzas Media, an independent investigative outlet known for reporting on corruption. Six representatives of the organisation were arrested beginning in November 2023, and lengthy prison sentences were handed down in June 2025.
The journalists have rejected the accusations against them, while independent media organisations and international human rights groups have repeatedly questioned the legitimacy of the prosecutions.
The Questions Azerbaijan’s Authorities Still Need to Answer
The latest findings leave several fundamental questions unanswered.
Were the February 18 allegations of violence independently investigated?
Were surveillance recordings from inside the detention facility preserved and examined?
Was any official investigated over the alleged threat of sexual violence?
Why have journalists suffering from documented health problems waited months for diagnostic examinations?
And if the authorities maintain that detainees are receiving adequate treatment, will they permit independent monitoring capable of verifying those claims?
For imprisoned journalists, these questions are not abstract matters of procedure.
They concern physical safety, health and, potentially, life itself.
ProtectDefenders.eu concludes that the cases demonstrate an increasingly hostile environment for independent journalism and human rights work in Azerbaijan — one in which repression does not necessarily end with arrest.
For those already behind bars, detention itself may be only the beginning of the pressure.
