“Pay up or I’ll arrest you” — investigator in Azerbaijan’s 'Meydan TV case' accused of bribery
‘Meydan TV case’ investigator accused of bribery
A criminal case has been opened in Azerbaijan against 23-year-old Farid Shukurlu, one of the investigators involved in the prosecution of Meydan TV staff.
Leyla Ibragimova, a tourism worker currently under arrest, alleges that Shukurlu falsely accused her of refusing to pay a bribe and subjected her to physical and psychological abuse at a police station.
On December 6, 2024, several journalists from the well-known online outlet Meydan TV were detained in Baku: Ramin Deko (Jabrayilzade), Aynur Ganbarova (Elgunesh), Aysel Umudova, Aytaj Ahmadova (Tapdig), Khayala Aghayeva, and Natig Javadly. On May 7, 2025, prominent journalist Ulviyya Ali was also arrested in connection with the case.
They are all charged under Article 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code (smuggling committed by a group with prior collusion), which they strongly deny, saying they are being targeted for publishing critical content about the authorities. The case has become widely known as ‘the Meydan TV case.’
Who is Leyla Ibragimova?
According to Meydan TV, Leyla Ibragimova works in the tourism sector in Azerbaijan. She is currently being held in a pre-trial detention center, accused of repeated fraud involving significant financial damage.
According to the indictment, she allegedly received and appropriated around 10,000 manats (approximately $6,000) from a man named Orkhan under the pretense of providing tourism services. However, Leyla Ibragimova claims she does not know this person and denies any involvement in fraud, insisting that the charges are false.
She also claims that during the investigation, police officers pressured her to pay a bribe. Ibragimova stated that the investigator, Farid Shukurly, allegedly fabricated the case against her and subjected her to violence and threats.
Ibragimova was declared wanted in 2024 in connection with a previous criminal case, also on fraud charges. In April 2025, just four days after a court ordered her release, she was re-arrested on new charges.
She sees this as a campaign of pressure by the Baku police department. Ibragimova maintains that the fraud charges against her are baseless and rely on false testimony.
Leyla Ibragimova: “When I said I didn’t bring him any money, he replied, ‘I will definitely have you arrested'”
Ibragimova said that on April 24, when she voluntarily went to the main police department in Baku, investigator Farid Shukurly openly demanded a bribe from her:
“The first question he asked me was, ‘How much money did you bring?’ When I said I hadn’t brought anything, he said, ‘Well then, I will 100 percent have you arrested.’ Then he presented me with a fake search warrant and fabricated charges.
“After that, they took me to another room supposedly for a search. There, a police officer struck me on my left ear. When I returned to the room, my lawyer was there. I told everyone that even if they kill me, I will not agree to the charges.”
“The investigator sarcastically said there was no one left to complain to, referring to the arrested Meydan TV journalists”
Ibragimova claims that Farid Shukurly threatened her with the “dark room” of the investigation unit (a room allegedly used for torture, according to several sources – JAMnews). When she said she would speak out about the threats, the investigator sarcastically replied, “Who will you tell? They’re all sitting right here.”
“He was referring to the Meydan TV journalists, and I’m being held in the same cell as a staff member from that outlet,” Leyla Ibragimova said.
She is demanding that Farid Shukurly be punished for violence and unlawful pressure against her and is preparing to file an appeal in the coming days.
* Meydan TV’s request for comment from the Ministry of Internal Affairs went unanswered. The outlet was also unable to obtain a statement from Leyla Ibragimova’s lawyer.
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