Akif Gurbanov, head of the Institute for Democratic Initiatives (IDI) and speaker of the III Republic Platform, Toplum TV journalist Farid Ismailov, and IDI employee Ramil Babayev, all detained in the Umbagi Penitentiary Complex, were placed in solitary confinement (punishment cell/kars) on August 21.
According to reports, the reason for placing them in solitary confinement was their protest against the placement of Ruslan Izzatli, a founding member of the III Republic Platform, and Ali Zeynal, an IDI employee, into solitary confinement on August 19.
Araz Aliyev, a founding member of the III Republic Platform, told Meydan TV that August 21 was the scheduled telephone call day for Farid Ismailov and Ramil Babayev with their families.
“Because they were placed in solitary confinement, they asked to inform their families about this through other prisoners,” Araz Aliyev stated.
According to him, all three individuals were given a 5 day solitary confinement penalty. The reason for determining this timeframe was to ensure they would be released from solitary confinement on the same day as Ruslan Izzatli and Ali Zeynal.
Ruslan Izzatli will be held in solitary confinement for 7 days, Ali Zeynal for 6 days, and Akif Gurbanov, Ramil Babayev, and Farid Ismailov for 5 days.
On August 19, Ruslan Izzatli and Ali Zeynal were placed in solitary confinement for protesting against the drinking water problem at the Umbagi Penitentiary Complex. It was reported that they were given 7 day and 6 day solitary confinement penalties, respectively.
The Penitentiary Service has not commented on the matter.
Arrests regarding the “Toplum TV case” began in March 2024. Sentences were handed down to the accused individuals in the case on July 27, 2026.
Akif Gurbanov, head of the Institute for Democratic Initiatives, and founding member Ruslan Izzatli were sentenced to 15 years; Alasgar Mammadli, co-founder of Toplum TV, and Ali Zeynal, an IDI employee, to 14 years; IDI employees Ramil Babayev and Ilkin Amrahov, as well as Toplum TV video editor Mushfig Jabbar, to 13 years; and journalists Farid Ismailov and Elmir Abbasov to 11 years, 11 months, and 28 days of imprisonment.
The accused individuals were initially charged with smuggling. Later, the charges against them were escalated. They reject the charges and state that their arrests are politically motivated.
During the trial, it was also decided to confiscate the seized vehicles and apartments.
In recent years, nearly 30 journalists and public activists have been arrested in Azerbaijan on similar charges. They consider the charges to be politically motivated. Officials, however, deny the existence of political prisoners in the country.
