Finn Right Human Rights Commission condemns in the strongest terms the politically driven trial and severe Azerbaijan prison sentences issued on 27 July 2026 by the Baku Serious Crimes Court against nine journalists, media workers, and civil society figures tied to the independent broadcaster Toplum TV, the Institute for Democratic Initiatives (IDI), and the Third Republic Platform.
Combined, the nine defendants received 121 years in prison the harshest verdict yet in Azerbaijan’s sustained campaign to silence independent journalism and dissenting civic voices.
Finn Right stands in solidarity with all imprisoned journalists in Azerbaijan and calls for their immediate, unconditional release.
Summary of Sentences Azerbaijan Journalists Case
| Name | Role | Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Akif Gurbanov | Spokesperson, Third Republic Platform / Founder, IDI | 15 years |
| Ruslan Izzatli | Co-founder, Third Republic Platform | 15 years |
| Alasgar Mammadli | Co-founder & Director, Toplum TV | 14 years |
| Ali Zeynalov | Researcher, IDI | 14 years |
| Mushfig Jabbarov | Video editor, Toplum TV | 13 years |
| Ramil Babayev | Project coordinator, IDI | 13 years |
| Ilkin Amrahov | Team coordinator | 13 years |
| Farid Ismayilov | Reporter, Toplum TV | 12 years |
| Elmir Abbasov | Social media manager, Toplum TV | 12 years |
The court additionally ordered full confiscation of the defendants’ property under a related civil claim.
A Trial Built on Fabricated Financial Charges
All nine were convicted on charges of large-scale currency smuggling, money laundering, tax evasion, document forgery, and unlawful entrepreneurship. Every defendant has rejected the charges as politically fabricated.
Prosecutors recast routine, transparent international grant funding for independent journalism and civic education as evidence of an “organised criminal group” engaged in illegal cash smuggling.
Legal observers and press-freedom monitors point out that Azerbaijan’s restrictive media-funding laws make it virtually impossible for independent outlets to receive foreign support through any legally compliant channel effectively criminalising the funding model independent media depend on.
The proceedings were marked by significant fair-trial violations, including the routine rejection of defense motions and a broader denial of standard due-process protections.
Part of a Wider Crackdown on Press Freedom in Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan continues to rank among the region’s most prolific jailers of journalists. The Committee to Protect Journalists estimates that 20 to 24 media workers remain unjustly imprisoned in the country, while local rights monitors put the total number of political prisoners at approximately 328.
Since November 2023, more than 30 journalists and civic activists have faced arrest on comparable charges.
The current case traces back to 6 March 2024, when Azerbaijan’s Interior Ministry raided the Baku offices of Toplum TV founded in 2016 to cover corruption, human rights, and political affairs and IDI, sealing both premises and detaining most of the editorial staff.
International Reaction
Finn Right’s Regional Director for Asia Pacific, Shumaila Aslam, described the sentences as the most severe measure yet in Azerbaijan’s ongoing effort to suppress independent media.
Human Rights Watch’s deputy director for Europe and Central Asia, Georgi Gogia, said the lengthy sentences raise the personal cost of independent civic and journalistic work for anyone in Azerbaijan who might consider continuing it.
Other international press-freedom bodies including the Committee to Protect Journalists, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom, and the European and International Federations of Journalists have separately condemned the verdict as confirmation of the trial’s political character and a deliberate attempt to intimidate independent reporters.
Finn Right’s Position and Call to Action
Finn Right Human Rights Commission:
- Strongly condemns these disproportionate sentences as a politically motivated attack on media freedom and human rights in Azerbaijan.
- Demands the immediate, unconditional release of Akif Gurbanov, Ruslan Izzatli, Alasgar Mammadli, Ali Zeynalov, Mushfig Jabbarov, Ramil Babayev, Ilkin Amrahov, Farid Ismayilov, and Elmir Abbasov.
- Calls for all charges against the nine to be dropped immediately.
- Urges Azerbaijani authorities to guarantee the health and safety of all imprisoned journalists, with particular urgency given Alasgar Mammadli’s reported cancer diagnosis.
- Appeals to the international community especially the European Union and the Council of Europe to pursue stronger, coordinated pressure to hold Azerbaijan to its international human rights commitments and secure the release of all political prisoners.
Read Finn Right’s coverage of Azerbaijan’s ongoing crackdown on independent media and jailed journalists.”