On November 20, Ulvi Hasanli, the Director of the oppositional media platform "Abzas Media," was charged under Article 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code (Smuggling-when committed by a group of persons who colluded in advance). "He has been arrested as a suspect. Now they are taking him to the temporary detention center," Ulvi Hasanli's lawyer, Zibeyda Sadigova, said. The lawyer said that the essence of the charge is to illegally transfer foreign currency to the country with a group of people who conspired in advance. She noted that Ulvi Hasanli's office and home were searched. "40 thousand euros were taken from Hasanli's office. Nothing was found in his house," she added. According to the lawyer, Ulvi Hasanli is not guilty. "Ulvi said that the accusation is baseless. The money does not belong to him. When the money was taken from the office, he said that the money did not belong to him. He did not see that money, and it is not related to him," Sadigova said.

Later, it was reported that Sevinj Vagifgizi (Abbasova), the editor-in-chief of "Abzas Media," was detained at the airport while returning to Baku from a foreign trip. "Journalist Abbasova Sevinj Vagif returned to Baku just now, knowing she would be arrested. They did not allow her to register through passport control and said they were taking her to the Baku City Police Department," lawyer Elchin Sadigov said. A criminal case was opened against Vagifgizi under Article 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code (smuggling when committed by a group of persons with prior collusion).

On November 21, the Khatai District Court of Baku sentenced Ulvi Hasanli to 4 months and Sevinj Vagifqizi to 3 months and 29 days.

Matthew Miller, the Press Secretary of the US State Department, expressed its deep concern about the arrest of Ulvi Hasanli. 

Amnesty International called for the release of Ulvi Hasanli, who was detained on November 20, and expressed concern over the reports that he was ill-treated while in detention.