Toplum TV Trial Affected by Defendant's Health and Defense Request

Alasgar Mammadli

The Toplum TV Case continued on December 8 at the Baku Court of Grave Crimes, with Judge Azer Taghiyev presiding.

During witness questioning, Alasgar Mammadli, Toplum TV's co-founder and a media expert, got sick. He had high blood pressure and heart issues. A doctor was called to the court to check him and give him medicine.

Separately, Farid Ismayilov, a Toplum TV journalist, asked the court to call members of the National Assembly he had interviewed as witnesses.

Ismayilov questioned why the current witnesses were relevant to the investigation, saying they only knew him as a journalist or had been interviewed by him.

"The investigation questioned 49 people. What did they learn? Nothing. The witnesses saw nothing," he said. "They only stated that they knew me... Is knowing someone a crime? Should they arrest artists too, since people know them?"

The Toplum TV Case arrests began in March 2024. Ten people face charges. The initial charge was smuggling, but the charges have become more serious since then.

The trial will continue on December 15 with online questioning of witnesses who cannot attend in person.