The court refused to acknowledge any violations in the investigation in the Meydan TV case.

The defendants and the defense pointed out violations in the investigative documents and demanded that they be excluded from the Meydan TV case file. The court denied the request to declare these documents inadmissible evidence.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," a preparatory hearing in the Meydan TV case was held at the Baku Court of Grave Crimes on December 12. At the hearing, the court denied the lawyers' requests to close the criminal case and release the defendants.

On December 22, the Baku Court of Grave Crimes held a hearing on the Meydan TV case. At the hearing, lawyer Zibeyda Sadygova filed a motion requesting permission to record audio and video. She explained that the trial was of public interest and that all the defendants were journalists, Meydan TV reported on its website.

However, the court rejected the motion, noting that the trial was open and that any media representative could attend and record the proceedings.

In turn, Shamshad Aga filed a motion stating that investigative actions should be conducted using numbered forms to prevent falsification of criminal case materials. Aga demanded that these numbered documents be presented to them.

The court denied the motion, stating that it would be considered at the document submission stage. Shamshad Agha objected, noting that none of the investigative documents were prepared on numbered forms as required by law, allowing for "any date to be written" on them. He stated that the trial was being conducted with documents that lacked legal force, meaning the court itself was not complying with the law.

This isn't a trial, it's a mockery.

"In that case, this isn't a trial, it's a mockery. We are being held here illegally. A group of people gathered and staged a trial for us here with illegal documents. It's a disgrace," the journalist stated.

Rovshan Rahimli's lawyer filed a motion to present a decision on the assessment of the evidence. The judge responded that the lawyers could review the documents at the law office.

In turn, Nazim Musayev's lawyer filed a motion emphasizing that since the criminal case materials were not compiled in accordance with the law and were not presented on special numbered forms, they should be considered inadmissible evidence and excluded from the criminal case. The judge rejected this request.

13:37 15.12.2025

Serial Arrests of Journalists in Azerbaijan

Since November 2023, Azerbaijan has seen a series of arrests of independent media journalists, with several criminal cases opened following a similar pattern. The "Caucasian Knot" report details what led to the new wave of repression against the independent press.

After this, the indictment was read in court. The next hearing is scheduled for January 16, 2026, the publication states.

Journalists from other media outlets, including Abzas Media, Toplum TV, and Kanal-13, have also been persecuted in Azerbaijan. On June 20, journalists and employees of Abzas Media were sentenced to imprisonment for terms ranging from 7.5 to 9 years. They denied the charges in court, emphasizing that they were being persecuted for their professional activities and for investigating corruption cases.

The number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan reached its highest point in 2024 since the country's 23-year membership in the Council of Europe, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report "Key Points on the Record Number of Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan". At the same time, the Azerbaijani authorities deny the existence of political prisoners in the country.