The court refused to release the editor-in-chief of Meydan TV from pre-trial detention despite the defense's arguments.

The court in Baku did not satisfy the defense's request to place Ajnur Elgyunesh under house arrest, as doctors recommended urgent surgical intervention.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on October 19, the defense announced that the editor-in-chief of Meydan TV Ajnur Elgyunesh was transferred to a medical facility of the Penitentiary Service due to a deterioration in her health. According to the lawyers, medical examinations revealed an 18-millimeter stone in the journalist's kidney, and doctors recommend urgent surgery. Additionally, Elgyunesh has been found to have tumors in her chest.

Today, the Baku Serious Crimes Court did not satisfy the petition for Ajnur Elgyunesh to be placed under house arrest, reported the journalist's lawyer Elchin Sadigov.

According to him, Ajnur Elgyunesh's health is deteriorating day by day, and she requires urgent surgery. However, the hospital insists on a preliminary computed tomography (CT) scan.

"Although surgery is urgently needed, the hospital is not ready to perform it without a preliminary examination. They state that a CT scan must be done first, and only based on the results will the surgery be performed. Considering that Ajnur has previously undergone several surgical interventions, performing surgery without a CT scan is risky. Her blood pressure often fluctuates, and bruises have appeared on her body," Sadigov is quoted by Meydan TV on its website.

The lawyer, citing serious health issues of his client, requested to change the measure of restraint from detention to house arrest. However, the court did not satisfy this petition, the publication writes.

The court had previously refused to soften the measure of restraint for Elgyunesh

It should be noted that in July, after a change in the composition of judges, the process in the Baku Serious Crimes Court resumed regarding the Meydan TV case. The defense petitioned for a softening of the measure of restraint, drawing attention to the health condition of the accused. In particular, lawyer Zibeyda Sadigova informed the court that the editor-in-chief of Meydan TV Ajnur Elgyunesh has serious health problems, she is disabled and has undergone 17 surgical operations. However, the court did not satisfy the petitions.

The Meydan TV case was initiated in December 2024, when six journalists were detained and subsequently 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 became known that the investigation was completed, and a 12th suspect appeared in the case - photojournalist Ahmed Mukhtar. At the same time, the arrested journalists were charged with new accusations under seven additional criminal articles 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.

11:46 21.08.2026

Serial arrests of journalists in Azerbaijan

Since November 2023, Azerbaijan has seen a series of arrests of journalists from independent media, with several criminal cases initiated under a similar scenario. A new wave of repression against the independent press is discussed in the report by "Caucasian Knot".

Those arrested in the Meydan TV case were persecuted on the orders of the Azerbaijani leadership for their journalistic activities, one of the accused, Shamshad Aga, previously stated. "You have neither the authority nor the courage to make arbitrary decisions in any process controlled by [the country's president] Ilham Aliyev. In these processes, both the investigator, the prosecutor, and the judge are Ilham Aliyev," he told the court.

Journalists from other media outlets, including Abzas Media, Toplum TV, and Kanal-13, have also faced persecution in Azerbaijan. On June 20, journalists and staff of Abzas Media were sentenced to imprisonment for terms ranging from 7.5 years to 9 years. In court, they rejected the charges, emphasizing that they are being persecuted for their professional activities and investigations into corruption cases.

The number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan reached a peak in 2024, marking 23 years of the country's membership in the Council of Europe, according to the report by "Caucasian Knot" "Main points about the record number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan". At the same time, the Azerbaijani authorities deny the existence of political prisoners in the country.