US Senate Introduces Press Freedom Resolution Naming Abzas Media Journalists

A bipartisan group of US senators introduced a resolution condemning the deterioration of press freedom in Azerbaijan, specifically naming five imprisoned Abzas Media journalists. The resolution calls on the Azerbaijani government to immediately release all detained media workers and drop pending charges.

It also urges the State Department to consider targeted sanctions against officials responsible for media crackdowns. Abzas Media, known for its investigative reporting on corruption, has had its entire editorial team arrested since November 2025.

The resolution references the Committee to Protect Journalists’ 2026 prison census which ranks Azerbaijan among the world’s top jailers of journalists.