The defense and human rights activists called for Elgunesh's release on medical grounds.

The editor-in-chief of Meydan TV, Aynur Elgunesh, needs urgent surgery due to serious kidney problems. The defense and international human rights activists have warned of a threat to her life and called for the release of the 51-year-old journalist on medical and humanitarian grounds.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on October 19, the defense announced that the editor-in-chief of Meydan TV, Aynur Elgunesh, was transferred to a medical facility of the Penitentiary Service due to a deterioration in her health. According to her lawyers, medical examinations revealed an 18-millimeter stone in the journalist's kidney, and doctors recommend urgent surgery. Additionally, Elgunesh has been found to have tumors in her chest. On October 26, the Baku Serious Crimes Court denied the petition for transferring Aynur Elgunesh to house arrest, reported the journalist's lawyer Elchin Sadigov.

The lawyer of journalist Aynur Elgunesh, arrested in the Meydan TV case, Zibeyda Sadigova expressed concern for her client's life.

"I am worried about Aynur Elgunesh's life. She is already not young. She has undergone 17 surgical operations. She is a person with limited physical abilities. Even before her arrest, she was diagnosed with imperfect osteogenesis (a genetic disease commonly referred to as 'glass bone disease' or 'brittle bone disease'). Aynur Elgunesh was supposed to undergo surgery, but she was arrested... Now it has turned out that one of her kidneys has failed. We are also concerned that tumors have appeared on Aynur's body, which also cause her pain. Her blood pressure often rises and falls. She has unexplained bruises on her legs," Sadigova wrote on social media Facebook*.

The lawyer told a correspondent from "Caucasian Knot" that despite the hospitalization of the journalist in the medical facility of the penitentiary institution, quality medical assistance is not being provided to Elgunesh.

"Unfortunately, the specialist who examined Aynur Elgunesh did not take the situation seriously. At first, he stated that the journalist needed to prepare for surgery. Then it turned out that the doctor had urgent matters and left the country. I turned to another doctor. He says that an examination and a CT scan are necessary. And then, he said, 'it's all in God's hands.' This doctor does not know whether surgeries can be performed on Aynur or not, saying it is a very 'risky matter'," said the lawyer.

She expressed regret that on October 26, the court denied the petition for the journalist's release from custody.

"Unfortunately, Aynur remains alone with her pain. What is the point of keeping a person in such a state in custody? She is still fighting for her life. Her release from custody could have given her strength; she could have spent time with her little pet (the journalist's dog, to which she is very attached), which helps her hold on to life..." noted Sadigova.

In her opinion, against the backdrop of Elgunesh's critical health condition, the question of her release should be resolved primarily on humanitarian grounds, rather than within the framework of purely legal procedures.

The international human rights organization also expressed concern regarding the deterioration of Aynur Elgunesh's health.

In a statement released on October 28, it was noted that further detention of the 51-year-old journalist could lead to irreversible consequences for her health.

"According to information from Aynur Elgunesh's lawyers and family, in recent weeks her health has further deteriorated, and due to serious kidney problems, she needs urgent surgery. Keeping Aynur in custody poses a serious threat to her health and life," the organization's statement said.

It emphasized that authorities are obliged to protect life and provide necessary treatment regardless of the criminal charges brought against her. The organization called for the immediate release of the journalist on medical and humanitarian grounds, warning that further delays could lead to irreversible consequences.

It was not possible to obtain comments from the Penitentiary Service of Azerbaijan.

Recall that in July, after a change in the composition of judges in the Baku Serious Crimes Court, the process in the Meydan TV case resumed. The defense petitioned for a milder measure of restraint, drawing attention to the health condition of the accused. In particular, lawyer Zibeyda Sadigova informed the court that the editor-in-chief of Meydan TV, Aynur Elgunesh, has serious health problems, she is disabled and has undergone 17 surgical operations. However, the court did not satisfy the petitions.

The Meydan TV case was initiated in December 2024, when six journalists were detained and subsequently arrested on charges of currency smuggling. They linked the criminal case to their professional activities. By August 2025, 11 people had been arrested in the Meydan TV case At the end of August, it became known that the investigation was completed, and a 12th suspect appeared in the case - photojournalist Ahmed Mukhtar. At the same time, the arrested journalists were charged with new accusations under seven more criminal articles . On December 12, 2025, at the first hearing in the Meydan TV case, the court refused to close the criminal case and release the accused.

Those arrested in the Meydan TV case were persecuted on the orders of the Azerbaijani leadership for journalistic activities, one of the accused, Shamshad Aga, previously stated. "You have neither the authority nor the courage to make arbitrary decisions in any process controlled by [the country's president] Ilham Aliyev. In these processes, both the investigator, the prosecutor, and the judge are Ilham Aliyev," he told the court.

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

The number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan reached a peak in 2024, marking 23 years of the country's membership in the Council of Europe, according to the report of "Caucasian Knot" "Main points about the record number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan". At the same time, the Azerbaijani authorities deny the existence of political prisoners in the country.