The International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) expresses grave concern for the safety of Ulviyya Guliyeva, a contributor to Voice of America (VOA), who is currently imprisoned. Recent reports from her family, VOA, and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) indicate that she is facing physical abuse and threats of sexual violence while in custody.
Arrested on May 7 by police in Baku on charges of foreign currency smuggling—a tactic often employed to silence journalists in Azerbaijan—Ulviyya was subjected to a home raid and intense questioning regarding her alleged ties to the independent news outlet Meydan TV, despite not being affiliated with it. She is among 24 journalists imprisoned in Azerbaijan, a country that ranks 167th on RSF’s Global Press Freedom Index.
The closure of Voice of America has heightened the risks for journalists like Ulviyya, as the absence of institutional support for independent media allows authoritarian regimes to further violate human rights. The IWMF calls on the U.S. Administration to reinstate Voice of America and demands the immediate release of Ulviyya by Azerbaijani authorities.
