The trial of Aziz Orucov, head of Kanal 13‘s Baku office, who has been in detention since November 2023, began at the Sabail District Court under the chairmanship of Judge Gunel Samadova.
During a pretrial hearing on December 25, 2024, Orucov’s lawyer, Fakhraddin Mehdiyev, requested the dismissal of the criminal case against him, arguing there were no grounds to proceed. Orucov has been charged under Article 188.2 of the Criminal Code for unauthorized construction, specifically for building a house without the proper legal permissions.
Mehdiyev pointed out that in Baku, there are hundreds of thousands of unauthorized buildings, many of which are inhabited. He argued that Orucov’s case was an example of discrimination, given that no other individuals in similar situations had faced such prolonged detention.
In response to the charges, Orucov maintained his innocence, asserting that he had not committed any criminal act. Another of his attorneys, Bahruz Bayramov, suggested that if the case was not dismissed, Orucov should be released under house arrest, noting that the offense in question is classified as a minor one, with a maximum penalty of three years. Bayramov further emphasized that Orucov has a permanent residence, young children to care for, and would not interfere with the court proceedings.
In his own remarks, Orucov expressed a personal desire to be released in time for his daughter’s New Year celebration at her kindergarten, which he hoped to attend. “Today, my daughter’s kindergarten is holding a holiday celebration. I would like to be released to attend it,” he said.
The prosecutor, however, opposed both motions, arguing that there were insufficient grounds for either the dismissal of the case or Orucov’s release. Judge Gunel Samadova rejected the defense’s requests. The next hearing is scheduled for January 8, 2025.
Orucov’s arrest followed a search of his home and Kanal 13’s office on the evening of November 27, 2023. Initially charged with unauthorized construction, he was later hit with additional charges of smuggling under Article 206.3.2 of the Criminal Code. However, the charges were eventually narrowed down to the issue of illegal construction, and the smuggling charges were dropped.
Shamo Eminov, a Kanal 13 employee, was also arrested and charged with smuggling under the same article but is not being tried alongside Orucov. There has been no further information regarding Eminov’s case.
Orucov continues to argue that the charges against him are politically motivated and linked to his work as a journalist. He maintains that his arrest is a response to his critical reporting.
Over the past 13 months, more than 30 journalists have been arrested in Azerbaijan, including staff from critical media outlets such as Meydan TV, AbzasMedia, Toplum TV, Kanal 13, and meclis.info. Many have been charged with smuggling, which they deny, insisting that their arrests are a result of their investigative reporting on corruption and other sensitive issues.
