Azerbaijani Court Jails 9 Journalists and Activists for up to 15 Years

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An Azerbaijani court on Monday sentenced nine journalists and human rights advocates to between 12 and 15 years in prison, in what international media watchdogs condemned as a blow to the country’s remaining independent press.

The verdict, delivered at the Baku Court of Grave Crimes, targeted figures associated with Toplum TV—an independent outlet known for its investigative reporting on political corruption—as well as the Democratic Initiatives Institute, a local governance think tank, and the pro-democracy Third Republic Platform. Two members of that political group received the longest terms of 15 years.

All nine defendants were convicted on charges of currency smuggling, money laundering, tax evasion, and organized crime involving the alleged misuse of foreign funding. In addition to the prison sentences, the judge ordered the forfeiture of their personal assets and barred them from holding specific professional positions for two and a half years. A tenth defendant, Toplum TV editor Shahnaz Beylerqizi, remains under police supervision as her case proceeds.

The defendants rejected the allegations, maintaining that the state fabricated the financial charges to destroy independent journalism in the country.

As the judge delivered the sentences, Toplum TV staff staged a quiet protest, standing up to recite a poem titled “We Are Burying Justice.” Defense attorneys slammed the trial as a sham and pledged to appeal the decision immediately.

The ruling sparked immediate condemnation from global press freedom organizations. Ricardo Gutiérrez, general secretary of the European Federation of Journalists, called the sentences “utterly disproportionate” and said they confirmed the “purely political nature of this trial, which is aimed solely at silencing courageous voices in Azerbaijan.”

Anthony Bellanger, general secretary of the International Federation of Journalists, described the verdict as “pure and simple government repression and intimidation.”

Police raided Toplum TV’s offices in March 2024, arresting journalists and seizing equipment.

The raid was not an isolated incident. Toplum TV is one of more than two dozen media organizations targeted by Azerbaijani authorities over the past three years, alongside prominent investigative outlets like Meydan TV, Abzas Media, and Kanal 13. Following waves of arrests and office closures, virtually all independent outlets covering Azerbaijan now operate from exile, with no staff remaining on the ground inside the country.