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CPJ condemns Azerbaijan's transnational repression after sentencing journalists Sevinc Osmangizi and Ganimat Zahid in absentia. Read about the escalating judicial harassment of exiled media and the call for international protection of journalists.

Sevinj Vaqifqizi, jailed editor of AbzasMedia, receives the 2025 Anna Politkovskaya–Arman Soldin Award for Courage in Journalism. Discover her story of bravery, her fight against corruption, and the global calls for her immediate release.

Azerbaijan sentences exiled journalists Sevinc Osmanqizi, Abid Gafarov, and Beydulla Manafov to 8 years in prison. Human Rights Watch warns of a growing pattern to silence dissent abroad. Read the full report on these legal actions and media freedom.

Read the latest on the Toplum TV trial in Baku. Key highlights include critical health concerns for co-founder Alesger Mammedli, serious allegations of evidence tampering by police, and calls for government transparency. Stay updated on this case.

Investigate grave human rights abuses against Azerbaijani journalist Mehman Huseynov. Documentation of state-led surveillance, blackmail, and death threats used to silence dissent. Demand justice and press freedom for Azerbaijan's journalists.

The Toplum TV case continues at the Baku Grave Crimes Court. Defense demands testimony from Hikmet Hajiyev and judicial recusal. Read about the legal challenges, charges against Alesker Mammadli, and the fight for independent media in Azerbaijan.

Baku Grave Crimes Court sentences critics living abroad to 9-14 years. Charged with terrorism calls and fraud, the accused deny guilt, citing political motives. Read the latest on Azerbaijani legal actions and human rights developments.

Azerbaijan's Supreme Court reduces the sentence of Kanal 11 head Teymur Karimov. Read about the legal case, the journalist's claims of innocence, and the broader impact on media freedom and the Amnesty Act in Azerbaijan.

Explore the Meydan TV court hearing in Baku, where journalists staged a musical protest using "Arşın Mal Alan." Learn about the 80,000 AZN tax claim, denied requests, and the wider crackdown on independent media in Azerbaijan.

Trial against independent Meydan TV journalists starts in Baku (Dec 12). 11 journalists face up to 12 years for financial crimes linked to foreign grants, a case CPJ labels an "unwarranted crackdown" on free press. Follow this crucial test of media freedom. Hearings set for Dec 22.

Azerbaijani lawyer Namizad Safarov was arrested and detained for 4 months on large-scale fraud charges (~$31k USD). While government sources cite failure to reinstate a client, opposition figures claim the charges are politically motivated due to his anti-corruption work and activism. Read the full report on the controversial detention.

Detained journalist Shamshad Aga speaks out from prison, strongly condemning the arrests of opposition leaders Ali Karimli & Mammad Ibrahim as Ilham Aliyev's act of repression. Aga insists fabricated charges cannot suppress the people’s enduring desire for democracy and justice in Azerbaijan. Read the full, powerful letter.

Human rights advocate Arzu Abdullayeva formally appeals to President Aliyev for the release of 12 arrested Meydan TV journalists. She argues the charges (smuggling, money laundering) are unduly harsh and linked to their free speech rights. Abdullayeva asks for a humanitarian act to boost public trust and Azerbaijan's image.

Journalist Shamsad Agha sends a powerful plea from the Baku Isolator, condemning the arrests of Ali Karimli & Mammad Ibrahim on 'fabricated' charges. He calls this a direct attack on democracy and stresses that repression will fail to kill the people's desire for justice and freedom. Read his full statement.

Azerbaijan's human rights crisis (Oct 2025 data) is escalating: 392 political figures, including 29 journalists, are jailed as the government cracks down on independent media and activists. Read the full report.

The RSF 2025 Annual Report reveals an alarming crisis: 67 journalists were killed and 503 jailed worldwide (Dec 2024-2025). The report highlights Gaza, Mexico, and countries like China and Russia as dangerous zones. RSF calls for urgent international action against press violence and impunity. Read the devastating global overview.

Exiled editor Ganimat Zahid's trial begins in Baku on political charges linked to his journalism. HRW condemns Azerbaijan's repression against critics and demands all politically driven charges be dropped.

Ulviyya Ali's report from detention exposes how female prisoners in Azerbaijan, charged with fraud/drugs, attribute their plight to abusive male partners and systemic injustice. Her statement: "I am also a victim of one man - Ilham Aliyev." Read the compelling stories of Saida, Nurana, and Toma.

One year after her arrest in the Meydan TV case, journalist Aysel Umudova writes a powerful letter from a Baku detention center, detailing her illegal detention, panic attack, and psychological abuse. Discover her defiant message of hope and unwavering belief in her work despite facing 7 charges. Read her full story.

Alarming update on the Toplum TV trial in Azerbaijan. Co-founder Alasgar Mammadli required medical help in court due to health issues, highlighting the dire situation for the 10 people charged. Defendants, initially accused of smuggling, strongly deny all charges, claiming their arrests are political. Read the defense's arguments and next steps.