Journalist Shahnaz Baylargizi has been released under house arrest following a decision by the Khatai District Court.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Baylargizi, a journalist of “Toplum TV,” had been detained in connection with the charges in the “Toplum TV case.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On February 5, 2025, Shahnaz Baylargizi (Huseynova) was detained as a suspect in relation to the ongoing case. On February 6, the Khatai District Court decided to place her under a 3-month and 15-day detention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On February 7, her lawyer, Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, reported that Baylargizi had been placed under medical observation due to serious health issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The following day, February 8, members of the Human Rights Defense Organizations Monitoring Group\u2014Novella Jafaroglu, Saida Gocamanli, and Saad\u0259t Benanyarli\u2014appealed to President Ilham Aliyev and First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva. They urged the authorities to release Baylargizi, under house arrest, citing concerns about her health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On February 11, members of the Monitoring Group visited the Azerbaijani Ministry of Internal Affairs regarding Shahnaz Baylargizi’s case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Baylargizi had previously worked as a presenter for \u201cToplum TV,\u201d but following the criminal case opened against the network, the broadcast of the program was halted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The investigation into \u201cToplum TV\u201d began in March 2024, when law enforcement agencies conducted searches at the offices of \u201cToplum TV,\u201d the \u201cDemocratic Initiatives Institute,\u201d and the \u201cIII Republic Platform,\u201d as well as the homes of several employees. Over twenty staff members were detained during the operation. Most were released after a few hours, but the doors to the \u201cToplum TV\u201d office were sealed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several journalists from \u201cToplum TV\u201d were subsequently charged with smuggling. These individuals included Farid Ismayilov (who has been placed under police supervision and detained on January 17, 2025), Mushfig Cabbara, Elmir Abbasov (also placed under police supervision), and Akif Gurbanov, the head of the \u201cDemocratic Initiatives Institute\u201d and spokesperson for the \u201cIII Republic Platform.\u201d Detention measures were applied to these individuals as part of the investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On March 8, 2024, Ruslan Izzetli, a founding member of the \u201cIII Republic Platform,\u201d and Alaskar Mammadli, co-founder of \u201cToplum TV,\u201d were also arrested under the same charges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The charges against the suspects in the \u201cToplum TV case\u201d were intensified on January 17, 2025. New charges were brought against the suspects under several articles of the Criminal Code: Article 162-1.1 (engaging employees in work without a valid labor contract), Article 192.3.2 (illegal entrepreneurship with substantial income), Article 193-1.3.1 (legalizing criminally obtained property), Article 193-1.3.2 (in cases of large-scale acts), Article 206.4 (smuggling by organized groups), and Article 213.2.1 (tax evasion by organized groups).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the same day, January 17, 2025, journalist Farid Ismayilov, who had been under police supervision as part of the “Toplum TV case,” was arrested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since November 2023, a number of journalists and civil society activists in Azerbaijan have been arrested on charges of smuggling. However, they all reject the charges, stating that their arrests are politically motivated and connected to their professional activities. Many of them have seen their charges escalated in recent months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to a recent list compiled by local human rights organizations, there are currently 357 political prisoners in Azerbaijani prisons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Despite these claims, Azerbaijani authorities insist that no one has been arrested solely for their professional activities or for political reasons. They argue that those on the list of political prisoners have been detained and held accountable for the crimes they have committed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Journalist Shahnaz Baylargizi has been released under house arrest following … <\/p>\n