Meydan TV journalists complained of threats from pretrial detention center management.

The arrested Meydan TV journalists were restricted from visiting their loved ones. They were threatened with new criminal charges if they did not "watch their speeches, publications, and words."

As reported by "Caucasian Knot," Meydan TV journalists Aytaj Tapdyg, Aysel Umudova, and Khayala Agayeva complained of violence against them in pretrial detention due to the publicity surrounding the filing of a report on their violation of courtroom order. They demanded an investigation into the violence and punishment of the security forces.

On February 28, Aytaj Tapdyg called her mother and reported that the arrested journalists were banned from seeing their loved ones.

"Several days ago, the journalists were banned from having 'in-person meetings' with their loved ones. "And today, Aytaj reported that visits through the glass partition are also prohibited," Tapdyg's mother, Dilruba Amanova, told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to her, from now on, on the day of visits for female journalists, only "parcels" from home will be accepted.

Furthermore, she continued, citing her daughter's words, on February 26, the head of Baku Pre-Trial Detention Center No. 1, Elnur Ismailov, came to the facility's sanitary and medical unit, where he summoned Tapdyg, Aysel Umudova, and Khayalya Agayeva.

"The head told the girls to watch their speeches, publications, and words." "Otherwise, he threatened the girls with worsening their situation in prison and with a new criminal case against them. This is an overt threat," Amanova said.

The Meydan TV case was opened in December 2024, when six journalists were detained and later arrested on charges of currency smuggling. They linked the criminal case to their professional activities. By August 2025, 11 people had been arrested in the Meydan TV case. 1 At the end of August, it was announced that the investigation had been completed, and a 12th suspect, photojournalist Ahmed Mukhtar, had been identified. At the same time, the arrested journalists were charged with seven more criminal offenses 2 . On December 12, 2025, at the first hearing in the Meydan TV case, the court refused to close the criminal case and release the accused.

She noted that the journalists were completely isolated.

“They put a refrigerator in their cell so that they wouldn’t go out and have contact with anyone,” Amanova said.

One of the activists, familiar with the situation in penitentiary institutions, explained in a conversation with a “Caucasian Knot” correspondent that the conditions in the pre-trial detention center’s medical unit are better than in ordinary cells.

“But I believe that the girls from Meydan TV is being held in the medical unit not out of concern for them, but to ensure their maximum isolation from other female prisoners. Previously, journalists from Abzas Media were held in regular cells at the pretrial detention center, and on the one hand, they sent articles to the media about violations of prisoners' rights and the use of violence against them. On the other hand, the journalists explained their rights to the women and served as examples for them of how to protest the pressure on them. Apparently, taking this "experience" into account, the Meydan TV journalists were isolated from other female prisoners. And now they want to deprive them of contact with other women altogether and don't even allow them to use the communal refrigerator. "This is likely intended to limit girls' ability to find ways to communicate information to the outside world," said an activist who did not wish to be named.

The Penitentiary Service could not be reached for comment.

As a reminder, Ulviya Ali, a journalist arrested in the Meydan TV case, faced threats against her loved ones in Baku Pretrial Detention Center No. 1 after audio recordings created by artificial intelligence about pressure on her in the pretrial detention center and during her trial were distributed on social media.