Toplum TV Case: Tense Court Hearing Includes Demand to Question Customs Head

The Baku Court on Grave Crimes, presided over by Judge Azar Taghiyev, held the recent hearing in the criminal case against “Toplum TV” journalists and activists on November 24. The case concerns around 10 people, like Toplum TV founder Alasgar Mammadli, journalists Farid Ismayilov and Mushfig Jabbar, and activists from the III Republic Platform.

Witnesses Say They Faced Pressure

During the court session, witnesses Fidan Alicanova and Jamila Azimova testified that they made statements under pressure during the initial investigation. Azimova said that the investigator yelled at her and threatened to keep her at the police station overnight. Both witnesses mentioned that authorities took their mobile phones without proper paperwork and have not given them back.

Arguments in Court and Health Issues

A heated argument broke out between Farid Ismayilov, a Toplum TV journalist, and state prosecutor Rauf Malyshov. When Ismayilov questioned the prosecutor's question to a witness, Malyshov told him to sit down and said he could not be spoken to in that way. The argument caused Ismayilov’s health to decline, and he had to leave the courtroom for a short time.

Demand to Call Customs Chairman Shahin Bagirov to Testify

When Ismayilov came back, he requested that Shahin Bagirov, head of the State Customs Committee (SCC), be called to testify.

Ismayilov argued that the smuggling charge against him did not make sense. He said that when he last entered the country, he went through customs voluntarily and received papers confirming that he had no illegal items or cash. In addition, he pointed out that the SCC gave the investigation his customs declarations, which confirmed that they did not find any valuables on him.

He used this point to challenge the government's story, questioning: "The Customs Committee also presented the customs declarations to the investigation. It is also noted there that no money or valuable items were found on me. In that case, one of the two institutions is lying. Let's say the 'Toplum' members, 'Abzas' members, and 'Meydan' members were involved in smuggling. Let Shahin Bagirov come and answer: where was he looking? How is it that after the arrest of more than 20 journalists on smuggling charges in one year, he received the 'For Service to the Fatherland' medal?"

The court turned down the request, with Judge Taghiyev saying that the issue was not related to the criminal case.

Statements from Other People Accused

Mushfig Jabbar, Toplum TV’s video editor, said he has been in prison for over a year and a half without knowing why he was arrested or what crime he supposedly committed. He noted that there is no proof or testimony against him. Jabbar also criticized the unfairness of justice in Azerbaijan by mentioning the recent case of the Sputnik Azerbaijan employees, who were released to house arrest but quickly flown back to Russia. He wondered how they would return for further investigations. This is Azerbaijan, where everything is just for show, he stated.

Ruslan Izzatli, a founding member of the III Republic Platform, another person accused, demanded his release and criticized the judge's comment that the investigation was still ongoing. He said he had no connection to Toplum TV and was wrongly included in the case. The court also denied his request for house arrest.

Background of the Case

The arrests in the Toplum TV case started in March 2024. While the first charge was smuggling, the charges later grew to include laundering large amounts of illegally obtained property, illegal business activity, tax evasion, and illegal employment. These charges could lead to sentences of up to 12 years. All those accused deny the charges, saying that their arrests are politically motivated because of their work. Human rights organizations in the country say there are almost 400 political prisoners.