An Azerbaijani court sentenced nine people linked to independent outlet Toplum TV and the Institute for Democratic Initiatives to prison terms totaling 121 years, one of the heaviest collective judgments in the country’s widening crackdown on independent media and civic groups. The defendants, a mixed group of journalists, media workers and political or civil-society figures, received individual terms of 12 to 15 years.
The Baku Court on Grave Crimes delivered the verdict on July 27. Akif Gurbanov and Ruslan Izzatli received 15 years each; Toplum TV founder Alasgar Mammadli and journalist Ali Zeynal received 14 years; Ramil Babayev, Mushfig Jabbar and Ilkin Amrahov received 13 years; and journalists Farid Ismayilov and Elmir Abbasov received 12 years. Abbasov, who had not been in prison during the final phase of the trial, was taken into custody in the courtroom.
Financial charges and claims of a political case
The prosecution said the defendants formed an organized criminal group that unlawfully received and used money from Western donors. The case began with March 2024 searches of Toplum TV and the Institute for Democratic Initiatives. Initial foreign-currency smuggling charges later expanded to allegations including illegal entrepreneurship, money laundering, tax evasion and document forgery.
A domestic report from APA listed the sentences and the Criminal Code provisions cited by prosecutors. The state had requested terms of 13 to 16 years and confiscation of seized vehicles and homes to satisfy a civil claim.
All nine defendants denied the charges. Defense lawyers said the evidence was fabricated or unfounded, that important motions were rejected and that they would appeal. The regional outlet JAMnews reported that the judgment also barred the defendants from holding certain positions for two and a half years and granted a civil claim that included confiscation of property.
The roles of the defendants are important. Mammadli is a media-law specialist and Toplum TV’s legal founder. Zeynal and Ismayilov worked as journalists, while Jabbar was a video editor and Abbasov managed social media. Gurbanov, Izzatli, Babayev and Amrahov were associated with civil-society, political or project work as well as organizations connected to the outlet. Describing all nine simply as journalists would blur the state’s broader action against both media and civic organizing.
JAMnews documented the defendants’ final statements and health concerns raised during the trial. Mammadli’s lawyers repeatedly sought house arrest because of a throat tumor and a reported need for surgery. Ismayilov, who previously underwent lung surgery, complained of health problems and threats in detention.
Two sharply different pictures of independent media
The government’s case presents foreign donor financing as unlawful activity concealed through an organized group. Pro-government or state-aligned domestic reports have generally emphasized the charges, the amounts of money alleged and the formal steps in the trial.
Independent Azerbaijani coverage presents the same funding as ordinary support for journalism, fact-checking, media education and civic programs. An Azerbaijani-language report by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty highlighted the combined 121-year total and defendants’ statements that the verdict marked a failure of justice. Toplum TV had covered politics, social issues, corruption and human rights before the raids disrupted its work.
The European and International Federations of Journalists condemned the sentences as extremely harsh and politically motivated. The organizations called for the convictions to be overturned and for those imprisoned to be released.
Azerbaijan rejects broad claims that it imprisons people for journalism and says prosecutions concern violations of national law. Yet the Toplum TV judgment follows long prison sentences in cases involving Abzas Media and other outlets, while Meydan TV journalists remain on trial. Human Rights Watch’s 2026 review describes the cases as part of a campaign using criminal law and restrictive media rules against critical reporting.
The outside view is complicated by Azerbaijan’s strategic importance. The country supplies energy to Europe and occupies a central position in South Caucasus diplomacy. European governments therefore face a recurring tension between security and energy cooperation with Baku and public commitments to press freedom and civil society.
What to watch
The immediate legal milestone is the appeal. Defense lawyer Elchin Sadigov told the Associated Press that the verdict was unlawful and connected to the defendants’ professional activities. Appeal filings should reveal which evidentiary, procedural and sentencing arguments the defense will ask a higher court to review.
Health and prison conditions are the next practical test, particularly for Mammadli and Ismayilov. Decisions on medical examinations, treatment, family access and placement could arrive before the appeals are resolved.
International attention will also turn to the continuing Meydan TV proceedings and any further cases involving independent outlets. Watch for the formal filing of the Toplum TV appeals, responses from the European Union and Council of Europe, and the next scheduled hearing in the Meydan TV case.
Sources
- APA, Azerbaijan: verdict, sentences, charges and prosecution requests.
- JAMnews, South Caucasus: detailed Azerbaijani-language account of the case and defendants.
- Azadlıq Radiosu, Azerbaijan/United States: Azerbaijani-language courtroom and defense account.
- Associated Press, United States/Azerbaijan: international report and appeal response.
- IFJ and EFJ, international/Europe: press-freedom response, English and French.
This article was prepared with AI assistance and human editorial review. Azerbaijani-, English- and French-language sources were checked.