She Asked to Marry, They Allegedly Responded with Force: The Courtroom Ordeal of an Azerbaijani Journalist

Aytac Tapdig

A courtroom is expected to be a sanctuary of order, a place where rights are debated and justice is methodically pursued. It is where individuals, regardless of their status, turn for due process. But on September 26, 2025, a hearing at the Baku Court of Appeal in Azerbaijan shattered this expectation, replacing a procedural request with a scene of alleged violence and intimidation.

The central figure was Aytac Tapdig, an imprisoned journalist brought before the court for a seemingly straightforward reason: to appeal for her fundamental right to marry her fiancé. Her case was not about the complex charges leveled against her, but about a personal and universally recognized right.

Yet, what unfolded that day was far from a simple hearing. Instead, it became a disturbing tableau of the pressures facing independent journalists in the country. The events provide a stark look into a system where professional identity can invite hostility, and a request for a marriage license is met with physical force. Here are the five most impactful takeaways from a day that put Azerbaijani justice itself on trial.

A Hearing on a Marriage Request Was Met with Alleged Violence

The day's most jarring event was triggered by a simple act of professional recognition. As Aytac Tapdig was being led through the courthouse corridor, she saw her colleagues and called out to them. According to accounts from her fiancé, animal rights activist Kamran Məmmədli, and her family, this prompted an immediate and punitive reaction. A convoy officer, identified as Cəmil Hüseynov, allegedly began to push Tapdıq forcefully down the corridor.

This was not a random act of aggression but a direct response to a journalist acknowledging her peers. In an apparent attempt to protect herself from injury, Tapdıq tried to use her bag as a shield, creating a barrier between herself and the officer. The incident presents a brutal contradiction: a journalist appearing in court to affirm a right associated with personal dignity and union was instead subjected to alleged physical force for the simple act of recognizing her fellow reporters.

A Judge Allegedly Treated Her "Like a Criminal" for Identifying as a Journalist

The hostility was not just physical. The events of September 26 were foreshadowed by the conduct of Judge Əli Məmmədov in a previous session, which prompted Tapdıq and her fiancé to file a formal written protest. In that prior hearing, Tapdıq was reportedly brought into the courtroom "like a criminal" and confined to a glass cabin.

The most telling detail was the judge's reaction when she began to speak. As soon as Tapdıq uttered the words, "I am a journalist," Judge Məmmədov allegedly cut her off and prevented her from communicating with Məmmədli. This is more than judicial impatience; it is a tactic consistent with a broader state strategy to strip journalists of their professional identity. By silencing the phrase "I am a journalist," the court attempts to reduce her from a member of the press to a common criminal, thereby legitimizing the state's actions against her.

The Altercation Ended with a Deliberate Act of Humiliation

The physical confrontation with the convoy officer did not end in the corridor. According to reports, it culminated in a final, calculated act of intimidation designed to degrade and instill fear.

"The head of the convoy, Cəmil Hüseynov, pushed Aytac along the corridor... then Cəmil Hüseynov pushed Aytac towards the detention point and, upon arrival, quickly pushed her into the middle of the room where the male prisoners were sitting."

This action—forcibly placing a female journalist into the center of a room occupied by male prisoners—goes beyond mere rough handling. It can be interpreted as a deliberate tactic of humiliation, deploying gendered intimidation in a highly vulnerable setting.

Her Case is Part of a Wider Crackdown on Independent Media

Aytac Tapdig's ordeal is not an isolated incident but a component of the wide-ranging "Meydan TV case." She was arrested on December 6, 2024, and is one of 12 individuals ensnared in an investigation that represents a major crackdown on one of the country's last independent media outlets.

In August 2025, the charges against the group were escalated, deploying a familiar legal arsenal used to create the veneer of a legitimate criminal case while targeting professional activity. They now face a battery of severe accusations, including illegal entrepreneurship, money laundering, smuggling, tax evasion, and document forgery. The journalists unequivocally deny all charges, maintaining that their prosecution is a politically motivated campaign designed to punish them for their critical reporting.

In a Surprising Twist, The Appeal Was Partially Successful

In a paradoxical conclusion to the day's events, a small measure of legal progress was achieved. After reviewing the protest filed against them, the judges decided to leave the motion unexamined. However, when it came to the actual subject of the hearing, the appeal regarding Tapdıq's right to marry was partially granted.

The court ordered the case to be sent back to the Khatai District Court for re-examination. While not a final approval, this decision forces the lower court to reconsider its initial refusal, preventing an outright dismissal of her request and keeping her fight for this fundamental right alive within the legal system. Amidst the hostility and intimidation, this small procedural victory stands as a testament to the persistence of the fight for even the most basic human rights.

A Question of Justice

The events of September 26 reveal a profound conflict: a journalist's fight for a personal right to marry colliding with a system that appears hostile to her professional identity, her safety, and her voice. The day was a microcosm of the larger struggle for press freedom in Azerbaijan, where basic legal procedures can become arenas for intimidation.

Aytac Tapdig won a small battle, pushing her case back into the legal process. But the larger struggle is far from over. The incident leaves us with a critical question about the nature of the systems meant to protect us. When a courtroom becomes a stage for silencing and intimidation, where does the fight for justice truly begin?