Another journalist arrested in Azerbaijan over Toplum TV case
Another journalist arrested in Azerbaijan
In Azerbaijan, another journalist has been arrested in connection with the Toplum TV case. The charges against all those involved have been upgraded under six additional articles, with potential sentences of up to 12 years in prison.
- Trials begin in Baku for former Karabakh separatist leaders
- European court fines Azerbaijan €1.7 million
- Labour rights activist sentenced to 8 years in prison in Azerbaijan
On January 17, the Khatai District Court in Baku sentenced journalist Farid Ismayilov to two months and 20 days of pre-trial detention. The court granted the prosecutor’s request to impose detention as a preventive measure.
Earlier that day, Toplum TV reported Ismayilov’s arrest, stating that police officers detained him at his home in the morning and took him to the Baku Main Police Department (BMPD).
It was also reported that Ismayilov’s roommate, Nihad Ibrahimkhalilov, was also detained. Additionally, Elmir Abbasov, another individual previously arrested in connection with the Toplum TV case, was summoned to the BMPD the same day. Abbasov was questioned for several hours before being released.
Farid Ismayilov and Elmir Abbasov were first detained in March 2024 as part of the Toplum TV case. At the time, a court released them under police supervision while the investigation continued.
On January 17, charges in the “Toplum TV” case were escalated, as reported by the lawyers of the accused.
According to the defense, the defendants in the “Toplum TV” case now face new charges under the following articles of Azerbaijan’s Criminal Code: 162-1.1 (engaging workers without a legally binding employment contract), 192.3.2 (illegal entrepreneurship involving large-scale property acquisition), 193-1.3.1 and 193-1.3.2 (large-scale money laundering), 206.4 (smuggling by an organized group), and 213.2.1 (tax evasion committed by an organized group).
Previously, the charges were limited to Article 206.3.2 (smuggling by prior agreement).
The new charges carry potential sentences of up to 12 years in prison.
The defense has strongly rejected the accusations, stating that there is no procedural basis for these charges.
Toplum TV case
On March 6, 2024, police raided the office of the independent online television outlet Toplum TV. Dozens of employees from the newsroom and the Institute for Democratic Initiatives (IDI), which shares the same office space with Toplum TV, were taken to the police station. Technical equipment and staff members’ personal phones were confiscated, and the office was sealed. After lengthy interrogations, most of the employees were released.
During a search of IDI Director Akif Gurbanov’s office, law enforcement authorities reportedly found €30,000.
On March 8, the court ordered the arrest of Akif Gurbanov and Toplum TV staff members Mushfig Jabbar, Ali Zeynal, Ilkin Amrakhov, and Ramil Babayev. Two employees, Farid Ismayilov and Elmir Abbasov, were placed under police supervision.
That same day, Toplum TV founder Alesker Mammadli and one of the founders of the “Third Republic” platform, Ruslan Izzetli, were also detained.
Similar to the “Abzas Media” case, those arrested in the “Toplum TV” case were initially charged under Article 206.3.2 of Azerbaijan’s Criminal Code (smuggling committed by a group of persons by prior agreement). This charge carries a potential prison sentence of five to eight years.
Toplum TV was established as part of a media project implemented by the Institute for Democratic Initiatives (IDI), which primarily focused on training young professional journalists.
Operating as an online television platform, Toplum TV is well-known in Azerbaijan’s media landscape for its daily and weekly programs, which openly discuss socio-political issues.
