Arrested Meydan TV employees complain of violence in pretrial detention.

Meydan TV journalists Aytaj Tapdyg, Aysel Umudova, and Khayala Agayeva complained of violence against them due to the publicity surrounding their violation of courtroom order and their refusal to testify.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," at a February 13 court hearing in Baku, the journalists accused in the Meydan TV case protested against having their microphones turned off and being barred from sitting near their lawyers. Security forces drew up a violation report. The journalists interpreted this as a signal that their rights in the courtroom would continue to be violated.

Journalists Aytaj Tapdyg, Aysel Umudova, and Khayala Agayeva, who are currently under arrest, complained about the use of force against them in Baku Pretrial Detention Center No. 1. This occurred after Aytaj Tapdyg phoned on February 17 to report a report being drawn up against the defendants for violating court order and refusing to testify on the matter.

According to Dilruba Amanova, Tapdyg's mother, a check was conducted in the journalists' cell. Upon receiving this information, Amanova went to the pretrial detention center on February 18 to see her daughter.

"Force was used against the girls. "Under the pretext of an inspection, the guards began throwing things around. They also locked the cell doors from the inside, even slamming the small window used for food," Amanova told a Caucasian Knot correspondent.

According to her, the aggressive behavior of the pretrial detention center staff caused Aytaj Tapdyg to become ill. On February 18, Amanova was denied a meeting with her daughter in the pretrial detention center and a telephone conversation, despite persistent requests and concerns for her health.

"The judge wants us to answer only with 'yes' or 'no'"

On behalf of the defendants in the Meydan TV case, an appeal has been circulated to foreign embassies and representative offices of international organizations. The arrested journalists are calling on diplomatic missions, in particular the EU mission, as well as the embassies of the United States, Germany, Great Britain, and France, to send their employees to observe the trial and witness its unfairness.

They believe this is necessary due to the "lack of independent media and the impossibility of visual coverage of the trial, which limits the right to defense."

"The judge is violating Article 81.2 of the Criminal Procedure Code. According to this article, she must ensure a fair trial of the criminal case and comply with procedural requirements for the conduct of persons participating in the court hearing. Judge Ayten Aliyeva wants us to limit ourselves to answering her questions with only the words 'yes' or 'no.' While the law gives defendants the right to express and justify their position on whether they plead guilty or not, Ayten Aliyeva does not provide us with this opportunity," the journalists said in their statement, a copy of which was also received by a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to those arrested, the judge even interrupts the lawyers, shouting "sit down!" and "shut up!", not allowing the defense to finish their sentences. When confronted with protests, he interrupts the proceedings and leaves the courtroom.

"Aliyeva is violating the requirements of Articles 91.5.13 (to file objections and motions), 91.5.17 (to declare one's guilt or innocence), 91.5.38 (to express one's opinion regarding motions and proposals of other participants in the proceedings, as well as issues decided by the court), and 91.5.39 (to object to the illegal actions of another party to criminal proceedings) of the Criminal Procedure Code," the arrested journalists further note.

"We understand that Judge Ayten Aliyeva is not the one making decisions in our case; she is merely carrying out orders. Therefore, she considers listening to us a waste of time. However, this spectacle staged by the authorities..." "[The trial] is being legitimized under her chairmanship... We want the trial of those arrested in the Meydan TV case to remain the focus of the international community's attention, and we invite all embassies to our sessions," the statement reads.

The participation of representatives of democratic states is important

An Azerbaijani human rights activist monitoring the trial stated that the protests of the arrested journalists are justified.

"The defendants are trying to exercise their basic rights to defense, striving to express their attitude towards the violations committed against them during the investigation, but each time this irritates the judge. The judge often raises her tone, addressing the defendants and their lawyers informally. At the hearing on February 13, the judge interrupted journalists who, expressing their attitude towards the prosecution, stated that the real reason for their arrest was anti-corruption investigations at Meydan TV; their microphones were cut off. When it was Aysel Umudova's turn, she "She warned that if her microphone was turned off, she would continue her speech standing on a chair, after which all three judges, Ayten Aliyeva, Vugar Guliyev, and Elmin Rustamov, left the courtroom without any explanation," said the source, who did not wish to publish his name.

He supported the call for foreign diplomats to be present at the trial. "In a situation where there are no independent media left in the country, the participation of representatives of democratic states that have influence on international organizations is important. True, embassy representatives appear in court periodically, but their consolidated presence would probably be useful, which would be an indicator of increased international attention to the case, and not a formality," the human rights activist said.

As a reminder, those arrested in the Meydan TV case were persecuted on the orders of the Azerbaijani leadership for their journalistic activities, one of the defendants, Shamshad Aga, stated earlier. "You have neither the authority nor the courage to make arbitrary decisions in any process controlled by [by the country's president] Ilham Aliyev. "Ilham Aliyev is the investigator, the prosecutor, and the judge in these trials," he told the court.

Journalists from other media outlets, including Abzas Media, Toplum TV, and Kanal-13, have also been persecuted in Azerbaijan. On June 20, journalists and employees of Abzas Media were sentenced to imprisonment for terms ranging from 7.5 to 9 years. They denied the charges in court, emphasizing that they were being persecuted for their professional activities and for investigating corruption cases.

The number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan reached its highest point in 2024 since the country's 23-year membership in the Council of Europe, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report "Key Points about the Record Number of Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan".