The International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) is deeply concerned for the safety of imprisoned Voice of America (VOA) contributor Ulviyya Guliyeva. According to new information from her family, VOA and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Ulviyya is being beaten and threatened with rape while in custody.
Ulviyya was arrested on May 7 by Baku police and accused of foreign currency smuggling, a common charge used to target journalists in Azerbaijan. Authorities raided her home and interrogated her about her involvement with independent news outlet Meydan TV, of which she is not an employee. Ulviyya is one of 24 journalists currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan in relation to their work — the country currently ranks 167 on RSF’s Global Press Freedom Index.
Following the closure of Voice of America, journalists like Ulviyya are increasingly at-risk. Without institutional backing for independent media’s watchful eye, authoritarian regimes are emboldened to abuse human rights.
The IWMF urges the current U.S. Administration to re-open Voice of America and demands Ulviyya’s immediate release by Azerbaijan authorities.
report from IWMF.
