The President of the Voice of America* called for the release of Ulviya Ali.

The arrest of journalist Ulviya Ali in Baku is politically motivated, said Michael Abramovich, head of Voice of America*, calling on Azerbaijani authorities to review the charges and release her, and in the meantime, ensure normal detention conditions. In a letter from a pretrial detention facility, Ulviya Ali alleged systematic physical and psychological abuse of prisoners.

As reported by the Caucasian Knot, in February, Ulviya Ali faced threats against her family in Baku's Pretrial Detention Center No. 1 after AI-generated audio recordings of pressure against her in the pretrial detention facility and during her trial were published on social media. In late April, Ulviya Ali complained about the lack of quality medical care in the pretrial detention center.

The head of the Voice of America* demanded the release of Ulviya Ali

On May 6, Michael Abramovich, the president of the Voice of America*, issued a statement on the anniversary of the arrest in Baku of Ulviya Ali (Ulviya Guliyeva), a freelance correspondent for the media outlet's Azerbaijani service.

It noted that 32-year-old Ulviya Ali, as a reporter for the Voice of America* and a writer for other independent media outlets, was "among the few journalists who continued to cover politically sensitive topics within the country (Azerbaijan)."

Her arrest comes amid a wider campaign against independent media in the country, raising concerns that she could be subject to persecution because of her work with the Voice of America*

"A year ago, authorities detained Ulviya at her home in Baku following a police raid. During her arrest, she was reportedly physically assaulted, her apartment was searched, and her equipment was confiscated. Authorities charged her with smuggling, a crime under the Azerbaijani Criminal Code that carries a penalty of up to eight years in prison. "Her arrest comes amid a broader campaign against independent media in the country, raising concerns that she may have been targeted for her work with Voice of America*," Abramovich said in a statement published on his LinkedIn page.

Ulviya Ali remains in custody awaiting sentencing in Baku, and many of her colleagues are seriously concerned about her health and the conditions of her detention, Abramovich noted.

"We recognize the important role of Voice of America* journalists like Ulviya, who provide accurate and reliable news about the United States and other issues to people without access to a free press. Between 2019 and 2026, Ulviya faithfully supported U.S. foreign policy goals through her work with Voice of America*. We call on the Azerbaijani authorities to ensure her well-being, review the charges in a fair and transparent manner, and take appropriate steps to secure her release," Abramovich said.

He also called for the release of two other Voice of America* journalists, Pham Chi Dung and Le Anh Hung, who were arrested in Vietnam.

Ali called the treatment of prisoners in pretrial detention cruel

The journalist herself, from Baku Pretrial Detention Center No. 1, wrote an article on May 6 to mark the first anniversary of her imprisonment, which was published on Ulviyya's blog. Ali.

“I can’t tell you how much blood has been washed off the floors of the prison medical-sanitary department of the Baku pre-trial detention center, where I’ve been held for a year now. Every time I’m taken out of my cell to see my lawyer, to court, etc., I try to avoid the blood stains on the floor as I walk through the first floor. Over twelve months of observations, conversations, and random confessions from cellmates, a picture has gradually emerged before me that has forced me to pay attention to the state of the people’s psyche here,” writes Ulviya Ali.

Prison is becoming a space where law easily gives way to arbitrariness.

 According to her observations, “deprivation of liberty in conditions of complete social isolation inevitably affects the psyche.” “Prison is becoming a space where law easily gives way to arbitrariness. Restrictions on meetings with a lawyer, "Family, phone calls—all of this becomes a tool for controlling a person left alone," Ulviya Ali emphasizes, citing conversations with female inmates at Baku Pretrial Detention Center No. 1.

"I've been held for over three years on trumped-up charges. There's no respect for human rights here. Those who try to defend them are beaten, humiliated, and psychologically broken. People are driven to the point where they begin to harm themselves or contemplate death. And no one cares—not the prosecutor's office, not the ombudsman," Ulviya Ali quotes one of them.

Resistance here is not met with a response. And gradually, the most terrifying thing becomes not the punishment, but the feeling of invisibility—when it's as if they stop noticing you.

The logic of the system is simple and cruel: a person must submit, the journalist concludes. "Resistance here doesn't invite a response. And gradually, the most frightening thing becomes not the punishment, but the feeling of invisibility—when you seem to stop being noticed. Many prisoners speak of the fear of being forgotten. The feeling of having disappeared from the world of the living gradually becomes part of everyday life. Even after getting used to the regime, a person continues to feel internal disorientation: day after day, they lose their sense of self," continues Ulviya Ali.

Prisoners are completely cut off from family, friends, and their social circle. They are granted limited visitation rights once a week, but this is not enough to bridge the gap, she points out. Meetings take place through glass, without physical contact, creating an invisible wall between people. Prisoners are completely deprived of control over their lives. Even the number of meetings with family is determined by the administration. Conversations are often interrupted by a guard's command: "Finish."

"Meetings with a lawyer and family are not confidential. Free movement within the institution is impossible: "The doors are opened only by guards. The cells are locked from the outside. The prisoner is constantly under surveillance, phone conversations and meetings are monitored, and some rooms are wiretapped and equipped with cameras. There is a lack of trust in cellmates, which forces a person to withdraw," Ulviya Ali describes the conditions in the pretrial detention center.

She also draws attention to the psychological problems of female prisoners due to the separation from their families, who experience feelings of guilt towards their relatives.

"What will happen to my daughter? I won't see her grow up. I'll miss so much in life...," Ulviya Ali quotes another prisoner as saying.

The separation from family also manifests itself in the fact that some relatives, due to poverty or shame, refuse to communicate, don't come to visits, and don't bring parcels. This intensifies the feeling of loneliness and abandonment, Ulviya Ali emphasizes.

Accusations from family become especially difficult. a blow, reinforcing the feeling of guilt, she adds. Another problem that plagues female prisoners is the uncertainty of release, as people with a criminal record are often considered unfit for society.

“I understand that I won’t be able to get a good job. People will always point the finger at me,” the journalist quotes another prisoner as saying.

Restrictions, lack of personal space, forced cohabitation with other prisoners, psychological and physical abuse, lack of access to fresh air and sunlight, poor medical care—all this exacerbates the situation, Ulviya Ali continues.

“After three and a half years, I realized that no one was considering my complaints. More than 500 appeals were not sent,” the journalist quotes another interviewee as saying.

Violence is common, and witnesses of violence also experience psychological trauma; for some, hopelessness gives rise to thoughts of Ulviya Ali shares her observations in prison.

“There is neither a specialized psychologist nor a psychiatrist in the medical unit. This is one of the main reasons why the psychological state of prisoners is ignored. At best, a neurologist is called in from the Main Medical Department of the Ministry of Justice every two to three months. Only after a prisoner has harmed himself do they begin to treat his visible wounds. If a prisoner is prone to self-harm, these four words are marked with red stripes in his personal file, and surveillance is tightened. The prisoner’s external wounds are treated with iodine, but internal wounds are not even considered,” the journalist concludes.

As a reminder, on May 1, the Baku Court of Grave Crimes tried the accused journalists Fatima Movlamli, Aytaj Tapdyg, Aysel Umudova, Khayala Agayeva, and Ulviya Ali raised posters with the slogans "The Internet is free, speech is blocked!", "Speech is not shackled!" and "Freedom is the main artery of freedom!" They also chanted slogans: "Journalism is not a crime!", "Shoulder to shoulder in the squares, shoulder to shoulder in prisons." They timed their action to coincide with World Press Freedom Day - May 3. The hearing was postponed.

As "Caucasian Knot" reported, the Meydan TV case was opened in December 2024, when six journalists were detained and later arrested on charges of currency smuggling. They linked the criminal case to their professional activities. By August 2025, 11 had been arrested in the Meydan TV case. . At the end of August, it became known that the investigation was completed, and a 12th suspect, photojournalist Ahmed Mukhtar, appeared in the case. At the same time, the arrested journalists were charged with seven more criminal offenses. On December 12, 2025, at the first hearing in the Meydan TV case, the Baku court refused to close the criminal case and release the accused.

* Added to the register of foreign agents.

** Meta (owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp) is banned in Russia.