@UlviyyaAli spent six years reporting for Voice of America (@VOANews) on human rights abuses by Azerbaijani officials, in a country that ranks among the top 10 jailers of journalists worldwide. Her arrest in May 2025 came two months after President Donald Trump’s executive order to effectively shutter VOA.
In an Oct. 9 letter from prison, which her family shared with HRF, Ulviyya reflects on her work and arrest:
“Throughout my activity, my sole aim has been to serve human rights, democratic values, freedom of speech, and the press, and to stay faithful to the principles of journalism. It is precisely for this reason that I have been illegally detained since May 6, 2025.”
HRF calls for Ulviyya’s immediate release and echoes her call on the international community — and particularly the US government — not to remain silent in the face of Azerbaijan’s escalating crackdown on dissenting voices.
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