Silencing Voices: New Threats Against Female Journalists Jailed in Azerbaijan

The crackdown on independent media in Azerbaijan has gotten worse inside the Baku Investigative Detention Center. Family members say that women held regarding the Meydan TV case now face threats and isolation arranged by prison leaders.

Dilruba Amanova, mom of journalist Aytac Tapdiq, spoke out about the treatment of her daughter and her colleagues, Khayala Agayeva and Aysel Umudova. Amanova says that Elnur Ismayilov, the head of the detention center, spoke to the women on February 26. He told them to be careful about what they say and write. He said that if they keep speaking out or talking to others from inside the prison, new criminal cases would be opened against them. Families and human rights advocates see this as an attempt to scare the detainees and control their legal cases.

The pressure involves not just verbal threats, but also their prison conditions. The administration has reportedly made the women more isolated by putting refrigerators in their cells. This means they don't need to go to common areas, cutting them off from contacting other detainees. Family visits have also been reduced. Even on scheduled visit days, families are told at the last minute, and meetings behind-the-glass have been mostly banned. Families can still drop off food, but they often can't see or speak to their loved ones.

This intimidation is part of a larger legal campaign against Meydan TV employees that began in late 2024. It started when journalists—including Ramin Deko, Aynur Ganbarova, and others—were arrested on smuggling charges. In August 2025, the charges were increased, expanding to seven different articles of the Criminal Code.

The journalists say they are innocent, refusing the charges as politically motivated. From prison, they say that these arrests and pressure are meant to silence the remaining independent media and free speech in Azerbaijan. As the Meydan TV case gets bigger, the world is watching the safety and rights of those who reported the truth.