Poet and TikToker Ilhama Elshadgizi Jailed for Three Years on Drug Charges

İlhamə Elşadqızı

Baku – The Baku Court on Grave Crimes has sentenced poet and TikToker Ilhame Elshadgizi to three years in prison. The verdict, delivered on September 24, found her guilty on charges of illegal possession of a large quantity of narcotics without the intent to sell. Elshadgizi, who has been in detention for nine months, consistently maintained her innocence throughout the trial, claiming she was framed.

The court, presided over by Judge Anar Sadigov, handed down the three-year sentence after the state prosecutor had requested a term of four years and six months. The charge falls under Article 234.1-1 of the Criminal Code, pertaining to the illegal possession or transportation of large quantities of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances for non-commercial purposes. Authorities claim that over five grams of a narcotic substance were discovered in her bag during a search of her home.

In her final statement to the court, Elshadgizi vehemently denied the allegations and requested an acquittal. "There were no drugs in my house or in my bag," she stated, asserting that the police officers who came to her home brought the narcotics with them. She described the search as being staged, saying, "It was as if they were shooting a movie in my house... I used to be a television employee myself, I know very well how editing works".

Elshadgizi, who also appeared on television channels as an expert, stressed that the accusation was a "stain" on her character. "I have lived my whole life with a clean name and morality," she said, questioning how she could have afforded narcotics when she sometimes struggled to find money for bread. She further alleged that the police at the station openly told her she was being arrested because of a statement she had made on TikTok. Her lawyer also called the criminal case baseless and asked for her acquittal.

Elshadgizi's arrest was part of a wider law enforcement action described as a "TikTok operation" targeting the promotion of immorality. Several other figures were detained as part of this operation, including presenter Azer Zahid and the Abdullayev Emin and Rashad brothers. The sources note that Ilhame Elshadgizi had previously been a participant in competitions organized by Azer Zahid which featured other TikTokers.