The Toplum TV Trial: Health Scare and Evidence Issues

Things got pretty serious at the Toplum TV case hearing on January 12. Judge Azer Taghiyev led the session at the Baku Grave Crimes Court, but a defendant's poor health and questions about the evidence stole the show.

The big issue was still those investigation papers that said a ton of money turned up at Toplum TV and the homes of the people arrested. The defense team is saying it's all fake. They claim the cops put the money there to frame them.

Ilkin Amrahov, who works at the Institute for Democratic Initiatives, told a scary story about the search at his place. He said the cops tried to force him to handle the money and even said they'd arrest his grandpa if he didn't. Other defendants backed him up, saying they never even touched the money the state says they found.

Journalist Farid Ismayilov brought up that Presidential Assistant Hikmet Hajiyev had publicly accused them of smuggling before. So, Ismayilov thinks Hajiyev should come to court and explain who he thinks was smuggling, and how much money was involved.

What was scary was when Alesger Mammedli, a media expert and Toplum TV co-founder, said he wasn't doing well health-wise. He said the court ordered him to get check-ups, but he hasn't had one in a week. By the end of the session, he was in such bad shape they had to call for medical help right then and there.

This whole Toplum TV thing started with arrests back in March 2024. Now, ten people are involved. At first, they were charged with smuggling, but now the charges are worse. The defendants are saying it's all a political attack and deny everything. The trial starts up again on January 19. Everyone's watching to see what happens and hoping those in jail are okay.