A Baku court of appeal upheld the refusal to register the marriage of an arrested journalist.

The Baku Court of Appeal dismissed the complaint against arrested journalist Aytaj Akhmedova and animal rights activist Kamran Mammadli, who were banned from registering their marriage. The couple intends to reapply to the court of first instance.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," in April, arrested Meydan TV journalist Aytaj Akhmedova (Tapdyg) stated that she was being prevented from marrying animal rights activist Kamran Mammadli. The journalist emphasized that she would go to court to restore her rights. In June, the court of first instance dismissed the journalist's claim against the administration of Baku Pre-trial Detention Facility No. 1, which had banned her from marrying. On September 26, the Baku Court of Appeal returned the case to the district court for a new trial. On October 23, the Khatai District Court of Baku reviewed the complaint and dismissed it.

The appeal of Tapdyg and Mammadli was considered in the Baku Court of Appeal on November 4, but the court dismissed the appeal without providing any arguments, Kamran Mammadli told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

It is legally impossible to prohibit two citizens from registering a marriage.

"It is legally impossible to prohibit two citizens from registering a marriage.

"It is legally impossible to prohibit two citizens from registering a marriage.

"It is legally impossible to prohibit two citizens from registering a marriage.

" marriage. Therefore, the court simply issued a ruling saying "not to satisfy the complaint," Mammadli said.

According to the activist, during the court hearing, one of the guards tried to interfere with his communication with Aytaj, which was necessary for him to defend his position before the court.

"Immediately after the end of the hearing, he grabbed me and tried to lead me out of the courtroom to prevent Aytaj and I from saying goodbye. Only after Aytaj protested did he let me go and move a little to the side. The previous time, in the appellate court, he also physically pressured Aytaj in the temporary detention facility in the courthouse. After we made this public, he did not appear there this time," Mammadli said.

He noted that he intends to appeal to the district court again for a decision. about lifting the ban on marriage registration. "We will persistently seek to ensure our constitutional rights to marriage," Mammadli noted.

A BAS employee confirmed that the joint complaint of Akhmedova and Mammadli was rejected by the court. However, a court employee declined to comment, emphasizing that "the judges' decision is based on the law and is not commented on."

It was not possible to obtain comment from the Penitentiary Service, which is responsible for the guards.

Obstructing a prisoner's marriage is unlawful, an expert in the field of law

Right to Marriage "This right is guaranteed by Article 34 of the Constitution of Azerbaijan and is direct, meaning it cannot be restricted by anyone. A person held in a pretrial detention facility or already serving a sentence in a penal colony by a court decision is in no way deprived of this right. The facility's management must create conditions for inviting a civil registry office employee to register the marriage," a lawyer, who wished to remain anonymous, told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

He also noted that such violations of the rights of those arrested for political reasons are common in Azerbaijan. "Unfortunately, the exercise of some of their rights, in particular, the right to a notarized power of attorney or marriage, is being impeded. I remember how obstacles were created for opposition figure Seymur Hazi and activist Nigar Yagublu to register their marriage in a prison colony. Only after this was publicized in the media were civil registry office employees allowed into the colony. But times are different now, and there's no independent press left in the country," the human rights activist added.

The Meydan TV case, in which Aytaj Tapdyg and several of her colleagues were arrested, was opened in December 2024. After their arrest, the journalists declared their innocence, while their lawyers claimed a lack of evidence in the case. "It's completely unclear from the indictment what Aytaj Tapdyg's guilt is or what her connection to the alleged smuggling was. The journalist herself stated that it was all far-fetched, and the true purpose of the arrest was to punish her for her professional activities," said lawyer Javad Javadov. By August 2025, 11 people had been arrested in the Meydan TV case. At the end of August, it was announced that the investigation had been completed, and a 12th suspect, photojournalist Akhmed Mukhtar, had appeared in the case. At the same time, the arrested journalists were charged with seven more criminal offenses. 2 .