“Toplum TV Case”: Indictments Announced for Alakbar Mammadli and Akif Gurbanov / Alakbar Mammadli: "The doctors know my condition, but they are afraid to issue a document for surgery"

Alakbar Mammadli and Akif Gurbanov

On May 19, 2025, a court hearing was held in connection with the "Toplum TV case" at the Baku Court for Grave Crimes, presided over by Judge Azer Taghiyev. Part of the indictment — concerning Toplum TV founder Alakbar Mammadli and Director of the Institute for Democratic Initiatives Akif Gurbanov — was announced.

Following this, the lawyers of Alakbar Mammadli and Ruslan Izzatli submitted motions to the court requesting that the pre-trial detention measures against their clients be replaced with house arrest. The court denied these motions.

The next hearing is scheduled for June 2, 2025, when the indictments for the remaining defendants will be read.

On March 6, 2024, police searched the offices of the independent online media outlet Toplum TV in Baku and sealed the premises. In total, ten individuals have been charged in connection with the case. They include Alakbar Mammadli, journalists Mushfiq Jabbar and Farid Ismayilov, Akif Gurbanov, Ruslan Izzatli, and employees of the Institute for Democratic Initiatives: Ali Zeynal, Ramil Babayev, and Ilkin Amrahov. Journalist Elmir Abbasov is under police supervision, while Shahnaz Baylarqizi was released to house arrest in February 2025 after being detained earlier that month.

Initially, the charges were limited to smuggling (Criminal Code Article 206.3.2), but on January 17, 2025, additional charges were filed, including money laundering involving criminally obtained property, illegal entrepreneurship, tax evasion, and employing workers without contracts. The offenses are punishable by up to 12 years in prison.

Toplum TV released a statement asserting that the actions taken against them stem from their professional activities and represent a crackdown on independent media. Local and international human rights organizations have labeled the defendants political prisoners and called for their immediate release.

At the May 19 hearing, the lawyers again raised health concerns regarding Mammadli and Izzatli. They requested house arrest to allow medical treatment pending the verdict. Mammadli emphasized the urgency of his situation: "Since my arrest, they allegedly took me for a medical exam. But the examination was superficial. The doctors themselves are aware of my condition. However, they are afraid to issue a document regarding the surgery."

His lawyer noted that surgery is mandatory when a tumor exceeds 15 millimeters — Mammadli’s has reached 23 millimeters. Izzətli’s lawyer said his client has internal organ issues and previously underwent gallbladder removal. He also reminded the court that Izzatli participated in the 44-day war in 2020. Nevertheless, the court rejected the motion for house arrest.

Prosecutor Rauf Malishov then formally announced the charges against Mammadli and Gurbanov. Mammadli responded by stating he still does not understand what he is accused of or why he was arrested.

Background

The arrests in the “Toplum TV case” began in March 2024, with seven individuals initially charged with smuggling. Farid Ismayilov and Elmir Abbasov were initially given alternative measures but Ismayilov was later arrested in January 2025. In February 2025, journalist Shahnaz Baylarqizi was detained but released to house arrest by month’s end. A separate criminal case was initiated against her.

All of the accused deny the charges, asserting that they were arrested on political orders due to their professional activities.

Since November 2023, over 30 journalists and civil society activists in Azerbaijan have been arrested on smuggling charges.

According to lists compiled by local human rights groups, around 350 political prisoners are currently held in Azerbaijani prisons.

Government officials maintain that no one is imprisoned in Azerbaijan solely for their profession or political beliefs. According to them, the individuals listed as political prisoners are being prosecuted for actual criminal offenses.