Azerbaijan activist ready for jail 'so son can live freely'

Ruslan Izzetli

An Azerbaijani opposition activist on trial in the "Toplum TV" case has told a Baku court he is ready to face prison so his young son can grow up in a free country.

Ruslan Izzetli, a founding member of the Third Republic Platform (III Respublika Platforması), delivered his final address to the Baku Court of Grave Crimes on Monday. Rather than a traditional legal defence, he read aloud a letter dedicated to his nine-year-old son.

State prosecutors have requested a 16-year prison sentence for Mr Izzetli. He is among several independent journalists and political figures arrested in early 2024 following a government crackdown on independent media and civil society.

"I am ready for any punishment for you and your peers to live freely and happily," Mr Izzetli told the court, reading from his letter. "My goal is that you do not have to live through what we are experiencing today."

Addressing his son, Mr Izzetli criticised the government of President Ilham Aliyev, alleging that the state uses the fear of imprisonment to silence the country’s intelligentsia and control civic life.

He argued that the government’s victory in Karabakh had failed to resolve the country's deep-seated economic and social problems.

"People were told for years that our lack of democracy and economic problems were because 20% of our territory was occupied," Mr Izzetli said.

According to the activist, the euphoria of the military victory has faded, leaving citizens with the same domestic difficulties, which has prompted the authorities to reactivate what he described as a "repressive machine" to suppress public pressure.

The Azerbaijani government has consistently denied that the arrests of journalists and activists are politically motivated, maintaining that those detained are facing legitimate criminal charges.

Mr Izzetli was arrested on 8 March 2024, two days after police raided the offices of Toplum TV, an independent online news outlet, and the Third Republic Platform in the capital, Baku.

A total of nine people have been prosecuted in connection with the case. They were initially accused of smuggling, but the charges were later expanded to include tax evasion, illegal entrepreneurship, and money laundering.

The defendants, their legal teams, and international human rights organisations have rejected the allegations, describing them as fabricated to punish independent journalism and political opposition.

Mr Izzetli, 37, is a veteran of the 2020 Karabakh war and was previously decorated with a state medal for his military service.

In his letter, he compared his situation to that of 18th-century French philosopher Voltaire, who was given the choice of exile or imprisonment for criticising the king.

"I choose the light, no matter how difficult it is," he said. "As a politician and as a father, it is my duty to ensure that you and your peers can always smile in this country."

The trial, presided over by Judge Azer Tagiyev, is expected to conclude with a final verdict in the coming weeks.