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The "Most Resilient Journalist 2025" award has been presented to Ulviyya Ali (Guliyeva) by Free Press Unlimited. The organization announced the news today, February 3rd, during the "Free Press Live" event, stating on their official website: "The Most Resilient Journalist 2025 award is presented to Azerbaijani journalist Ulviyya Guliyeva, who continues her work despite severe repression and risks to her personal life. At the time of receiving this award, Ulviyya has already been unjustly detained for months in the Baku Detention Center. Nevertheless, despite being denied medical assistance, she persistently continues her activities from prison—reporting information, documenting human rights violations, interviewing other political prisoners, and ensuring that the truth is not silenced. The jury highly commends Ulviyya’s extraordinary personal and professional courage, her unwavering commitment to journalism despite physical violence, imprisonment, and the loss of her official platform, as well as the significant public impact of her work. Even behind bars, Ulviyya continues to inform, resist, and inspire." In a letter written from prison, Ulviyya shared her thoughts on being honored with this award: "I greet you all from the Baku Pre-trial Detention Center, where I have been illegally detained for the past nine months. I was honored with awards for my journalistic work while I was free. However, I must admit that the award I received while in prison has moved me even more deeply. For someone in captivity, this is a tremendous source of motivation. Since the age of 17, I have strived to contribute to human rights and serve the truth. Even knowing which country I live in—and that such activity in Azerbaijan often results in arrest—nothing could deter me from this path. I continued my work even after March 2025, when the 'Voice of America' radio station, where I had worked for six years, was closed down. I shared news, reports, and information regarding human rights violations in Azerbaijan through my personal social media accounts, without any compensation. Because I refused to cease my journalistic activities, I was arrested on May 6, 2025, on trumped-up charges. During the arrest, police officers struck me seven times on the head and tore out my hair. Despite this, I continue my journalism even from within the prison walls: I interview other political prisoners, write articles, and shed light on rights violations occurring inside the detention center. The writer Henry Thoreau said that under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just human is also a prison. If anyone thinks that our influence will wane in prison, that our voices will no longer be heard, or that we cannot struggle as before within these walls, they are mistaken. They understand neither how much stronger truth is than lies, nor how effectively and skillfully someone who has witnessed even a little injustice can fight against it. In a world where truth is manipulated, distorted, and traded for money, we continue to reclaim the truth, even from behind bars. I thank everyone standing in solidarity with me—my friends, my family, and especially my partner who has given me unparalleled support during this period. Long live the free press, long live independent journalists, and long live all those who refuse to bow to oppression".

The prestigious Free Press Unlimited organization has announced the list of finalists selected as nominees for the "Free Press Awards" 2025. Investigative journalist Ulviyya Guliyeva, who is currently detained in Azerbaijan, is among the nominees. According to the information released by the organization, Ulviyya Guliyeva has been nominated in the "Most Resilient Journalist" category. The organization also shared her thoughts regarding the nomination on its media platform: “I have been a journalist for ten years, and for the last eight months, I have continued this mission from prison. I am now certain that serving humanity is more vital than physical freedom. If isolated prisoners still ask me to amplify their voices, even considering stopping my journalism would be an injustice to them.” The organization highly valued the fact that Ulviyya has spent more than a decade reporting on repression, politically motivated trials, and civil liberties in Azerbaijan. They noted that she did not stop her activities even after her media accreditations were revoked, producing reports and documentaries on systemic human rights violations, and selected her as a nominee for these reasons. Furthermore, the organization emphasized that despite the medical risks, pressure, and censorship she currently faces, the journalist—who has been detained since May 2025—continues to document violations within the prison. The other nominee in this category is Lebanese photojournalist Christina Assi. Competing in the same category, Christina Assi was severely injured and lost her right leg during an attack on journalists at the Lebanon-Israel border in 2023. She is presented as a symbol of the fight against impunity for crimes against journalists. The winners of the "Free Press Awards 2025" will be announced at the "Free Press Live" event to be held on February 3rd at the "Nieuwspoort" center in The Hague, Netherlands. The event will bring together journalists, policymakers, and civil society representatives in the name of press freedom. It should be noted that the "Free Press Awards" honors journalists who demonstrate exceptional courage and integrity under extreme pressure.