Ulvi Hasanli (full name: Ulvi Fakhreddin oglu Hasanov; born 10 August 1987, Kirovabad) is an Azerbaijani journalist and political activist.[1] He has previously been involved in several youth and opposition movements, including the Dalga Youth Movement, the Free Youth Organization, the National Council of Democratic Forces, and the NIDA Civic Movement. Hasanli is currently the director of AbzasMedia, an independent media outlet in Azerbaijan.
Throughout his activism and journalistic career, Hasanli has faced significant pressure from the authorities. In November 2023, he was detained and charged under Article 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan (smuggling on preliminary arrangement by group of persons;).
On 20 June 2025, Hasanli was senteced to 9 years in prison.[2]
Early years
He was born on 18 August 1987, in Kirovabad, Azerbaijan. In 2005, he graduated from Secondary School No. 29 in Ganja and was admitted to the Azerbaijan State Oil Academy. However, in 2006, he was expelled from the academy due to his political activism. Later, from 2008 to 2013, Hasanli studied at the Azerbaijan Tourism and Management University.[3]
Activism
In the 2000s, Hasanli was active in the Dalga Youth Movement, where he also served as the organization's chairperson.[4][5] He later became one of the founders and the chairperson of the Free Youth Organization, established in 2011. Hasanli resigned from this position in November 2013.[6] He was also a member of the National Council of Democratic Forces and later joined the NIDA Civic Movement.[7] During his time with NIDA, he became a member of the organization's board of directors.[8]
Ulvi Hasanli is the director of AbzasMedia, an online news outlet founded in 2016.[9] According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, AbzasMedia is one of the few remaining independent media organizations in Azerbaijan following a series of raids and arrests targeting independent media and press freedom groups since 2014.[10] The outlet is known for its investigative reporting on the business dealings of government officials, including alleged corruption related to the post-2020 reconstruction efforts in the Karabakh region.[11]
Threats
Ulvi Hasanli has faced continuous persecution by the Azerbaijani government throughout his political activism.[12] In March 2011, he was detained during the "Böyük Xalq Günü" protest action.[13]
In September 2017, Hasanli underwent a medical examination related to mandatory military service and was granted a deferral until 2019 due to rheumatism and kidney problems. Despite this, he was summoned for re-examination in October 2017.[14] When he arrived at the hospital for the examination, he was detained by military police and transferred to the military commissariat, and subsequently sent to a military unit in Barda district.[15] Hasanli was not given prior warning about his conscription, nor was he allowed time to inform his family or settle his personal affairs.[16]
In November 2017, the Baku Court of Appeal, under the chairmanship of Judge Elshad Shamayev, reviewed a complaint filed by Hasanli regarding his unlawful arrest and his exposure to inhumane and degrading treatment and torture. However, the court dismissed the complaint.
In 2022, Hasanli was one of three journalists who publicly opposed a new media law requiring all media outlets in Azerbaijan to register with the state-controlled media registry. In June 2023, he was detained by police in the Binagadi District of Baku for reporting on the protests in Soyudlu village.[17] That same year, he was also briefly detained during a flash mob demonstration held by political activists in front of the U.S. Embassy in Baku.[18]
On 20 November 2023, AbzasMedia's editor-in-chief Sevinj Vagifgizi reported that Ulvi Hasanli had been detained at Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku. She stated that the arrest was politically motivated and directly linked to Hasanli's journalistic activities.[20] It was later revealed that Hasanli had been taken to the Main Police Department of Baku City.[21]
Police take Ulvi Hasanli away after a search of his home
Following his detention, Azerbaijani law enforcement officers raided AbzasMedia's Baku office, preventing staff and journalists from entering the newsroom. Authorities claimed to have discovered €40,000 in cash during the search, which AbzasMedia dismissed as planted evidence to fabricate smuggling charges against Hasanli.[22]
According to Hasanli, he was subjected to torture and physical abuse while in custody.[23] The outlet later stated that interrogators questioned him about investigations into corruption involving high-ranking state officials. Shortly afterward, Sevinj Vagifgizi was also detained by police at the airport.[24]
Hasanli was officially charged under Article 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan – "smuggling on preliminary arrangement by a group of persons."
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