Baku Court Upholds Marriage Ban for Arrested Journalist

Aitaj Tapdig

On October 23, the Khatai District Court of Baku considered the complaint filed by Meydan TV journalist Aitaj Tapdig regarding her marriage with animal rights activist Kamran Mammadli in Baku Detention Center No. 1.

Mammadli reported that this was the first time the court had considered Tapdig's complaint on its merits.

"Until now, they only verbally refused to register our marriage and did not give written answers. For this reason, due to the absence of a written document, the courts refused to consider the complaint on its merits under the pretext of 'lack of evidence'," Mammadli explained.

This time, he noted, the court heard both him and Tapdig and ultimately decided to reject the complaint.

"Within 3 days, they must issue us the court decision, and then we will find out on what grounds the court, by rejecting the complaint, prevented two young people from getting married," Mammadli said.

He noted that an appeal would be filed against the court's decision.

In January 2025, Tapdig submitted an application for marriage, and two months later received a response from the administration of Baku Detention Center No. 1 stating that the investigation "does not permit" her to marry. Independent experts believe that marriage is registered not based on the permission or consent of the investigative bodies, but on the basis of the Family Code, and being held under arrest does not deprive a person of the right to marry.

Tapdig was arrested in connection with the so-called "Meydan TV case" in December 2024.