Hürriyet's editor-in-chief denied extortion charges in court
Hurriyet newspaper editor-in-chief Vugar Mammadov told a Baku court that he is accused of extorting companies that advertised with the newspaper several years ago. The legal entities were wrongfully recognized as victims, his lawyer argued, but the court refused to dismiss the criminal case.
As reported by "Caucasian Knot," the preliminary investigation into the case of Vugar Mammadov, editor-in-chief of the Hurriyet newspaper, the Hurriyyet.az website, and the Hurriyyet TV project, was completed in April. The journalist's colleagues claimed the charges were falsified and called on the Prosecutor General to take personal control of the case.
On October 29, 2025, the State Security Service of Azerbaijan conducted searches at the offices of the Hürriyet newspaper, the website of the same name, Hurriyyet.az, and Hurriyyet TV. Vugar Mammadov was detained and taken into custody. Following the investigation, he was charged under Articles 182.2.2 and 182.2.4 of the Criminal Code (extortion, repeated and with the intent to seize property on a large scale). The injured party was recognized as the Veysəloğlu group of companies, which owns a chain of supermarkets and confectionery businesses. According to investigators, Mammadov threatened to force monthly transfers of 200 manat (approximately $120) to the newspaper's account. Mammadov claims the money was transferred based on an advertising contract.
A preparatory hearing for the case of Vugar Mammadov was held at the Baku Court of Grave Crimes on May 4, an editorial staff employee of the Hurriyyet newspaper told a Caucasian Knot correspondent today.
According to him, Mammadov called the accusations "false" and the case "a set-up" in court, and explained that they initially wanted to link him to the case of former head of the presidential administration Ramiz Mehdiyev.
Ramiz Mehdiyev has been charged with treason and is under house arrest. The Hurriyyet staff denied the allegations that Vugar Mammadov is connected to Mehdiyev. "These assertions are completely biased. Not least because several months ago, some government agencies warned Vugar Mammadov of his arrest if he did not cease his activities," Hurriyyet stated.
"However, as Vugar Mammadov noted, having failed to find any connection between him and Mehdiyev, they brought other false accusations against him. Vugar Mammadov also pointed out that while Mehdiyev is free, he is being groundlessly detained," a representative of the editorial staff said.
Mammadov's lawyer, Agil Laic, petitioned to dismiss the criminal case or at least place the accused under house arrest until the trial is completed. However, the petitions were denied, and the case was accepted for proceedings, a Hurriyyet representative said.
The editorial staff had advertising contracts with these companies several years ago.
According to him, the companies recognized as victims are Veysəloğlu, Azərlotereya (which organizes lotteries), and Azərsun (a large food production holding company). It is alleged that Mamedov extorted money from them, but he categorically denies these allegations.
"Vugar Mamedov said in court that the editorial staff had commercial ties with these companies, specifically advertising contracts, several years ago, and if they had any complaints, they would have filed them then and complained to law enforcement. However, this did not happen. "They're simply forced to incriminate Mamedov under pressure," the editorial representative said.
Lawyer criticizes the investigation's position
Lawyer Agil Laidzh pointed out the unlawfulness of his client's criminal prosecution.
In cases of extortion by threats, companies cannot be the victims.
"Opening a criminal case under these articles against an individual based on complaints from legal entities is unlawful. In cases of extortion by threats, companies cannot be the victims. A criminal event in these cases can occur if an individual or individuals are extorted, but not if companies – legal entities – are the victims. On the other hand, if the court does accept the case, there is no need to keep Mamedov in custody. He is a well-known person who values his reputation and has no intention of hiding. But, unfortunately, both our motions—to dismiss the criminal case and change the preventive measure to house arrest—were denied," the lawyer said.
An employee of the Baku Court of Grave Crimes confirmed to a Caucasian Knot correspondent that Mamedov's case has been accepted for proceedings and a hearing on the merits is scheduled for May 18.
Representatives of the prosecution were unavailable for comment. Authorized representatives of the companies "Veysəloğlu," "Azərlotereya," and "Azərsun" could not be reached, a Caucasian Knot correspondent reported.
As a reminder, journalists from a number of media outlets, including Abzas Media, Meydan TV, Toplum TV, and Kanal-13, have been persecuted in Azerbaijan. The "Caucasian Knot" report "Serial Arrests of Journalists in Azerbaijan" details what led to the new wave of repression against the independent press.
In 2024, the number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan reached its highest point in the country's 23 years of membership in the Council of Europe, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report "Key Points to the Record Number of Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan." At the same time, the Azerbaijani authorities deny the existence of political prisoners in the country.