Azerbaijani court told airport CCTV unavailable in Meydan TV trial

An Azerbaijani court trying 12 independent journalists linked to Meydan TV has been told airport security footage key to proving the defence's case is unavailable due to technical reasons.

Journalist Ramin Jabrayilzade, also known as Ramin Deko, told the Baku Serious Crimes Court on 24 July that police planted €30,000 (£25,000) in his clothing after stopping his taxi shortly after he left Baku airport in December 2024.

Jabrayilzade said he was carrying only €8,000 when he cleared customs upon returning from Georgia, but officers later staged a video recording with planted cash to justify smuggling charges against him.

Presiding Judge Zaur Hajiyev informed the court that airport management had responded to a judicial request for CCTV footage by stating it was impossible to provide the video owing to technical issues.

The refusal drew sharp criticism from the defendants and their legal counsel, who argued that the footage from a high-security facility was vital to demonstrate Jabrayilzade's innocence.

"Airport security is a strategic facility. What technical reason could possibly prevent them from providing footage?" asked fellow defendant Shamshad Aghayev. "Do they not have a memory stick to transfer it? What an absurd response."

Defence lawyer Shahla Humbatova urged the court to issue a second formal request, describing the airport's response as disrespectful to the judicial process.

"This is a key piece of evidence that proves the innocence of the accused," Humbatova told the court. "The issue cannot simply be closed under the pretext of technical limitations."

Judge Hajiyev ruled that the court would revisit the defense motion at the next hearing, scheduled for 7 August.

Speaking during his testimony, Jabrayilzade said he had no regrets about his 15 years as a journalist, despite facing up to 12 years in prison.

"It was only in prison that I saw the true face and reality of my country," he said, adding that he had no expectations of a fair ruling from a judiciary lacking independence.

The trial involves 12 journalists and media workers connected to Meydan TV, an independent Azerbaijani news platform operating primarily from abroad due to state pressure.

Another defendant, Khayala Aghayeva, criticised President Ilham Aliyev for holding international media events while imprisoning domestic reporters.

"When he needs to, he gathers journalists around him to convey his views to the world through the press," Aghayeva said. "Yet he grants that right to no one else."

Journalist Fatima Movlamli told the court the prosecution's claims were fabricated to silence independent reporting. She questioned state evidence claiming €13,000 was discovered at her home, noting that the sum included €500 banknotes, which the European Central Bank stopped issuing in 2019.

"I live on the modest income of my mother, who works as a cleaner," Movlamli said. "Even Indian cinema does not produce scripts this absurd."

All defendants declined to answer questions from prosecutor Vusal Abdullayev, stating they refused to cooperate with a state-directed prosecution.

The defendants face charges including illegal entrepreneurship, money laundering, tax evasion, and currency smuggling. They deny all allegations, stating they are being punished for exposing state corruption and official abuse of power.

The arrests began on 6 December 2024, when Meydan TV editor-in-chief Aynur Elgunesh and several staff members were detained alongside Ulvi Tahirov, deputy director of the Baku School of Journalism. Additional journalists were swept up in subsequent months.

The prosecutions are part of a broader crackdown on independent journalism in Azerbaijan that began in late 2023, during which more than 30 journalists and civil society activists have been jailed on similar smuggling charges.

Seven journalists associated with the investigative outlet Abzas Media have already been sentenced to prison terms ranging from seven-and-a-half to nine years, including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reporter Farid Mehralizade. In a separate trial involving Toplum TV staff, prosecutors are seeking sentences of up to 16 years.

Azerbaijani authorities consistently reject international criticism of the crackdown, maintaining that no journalists are detained for their professional work and that all proceedings relate to specific criminal offences.