Today, September 15, another hearing was held at the Baku Court for Grave Crimes in connection with the “Toplum TV case.”
Arrests related to the "Toplum TV case" began in March 2024.
In total, 10 people have been charged in the case.
They were initially accused of smuggling, but the charges have since been made more severe.
The hearing was presided over by Judge Azer Taghiyev.
At the trial, Ruslan Izzatli, a member of the Third Republic Platform and one of the defendants, gave a statement.
He said that not only the defense attorneys but even the judges themselves are uncertain about the outcome of the case:
“Because everyone is waiting for a decision from the Presidential Administration. The arrested individuals have no personal feud with the government — we have simply worked for the public. Anyone holding a smartphone should support us. We are fighting for Azerbaijanis who go to Russia to earn a few coins and get beaten, for internally displaced persons who still can’t return to liberated lands, for those falsely accused on non-political grounds in the Kurdakhani detention center.”
As in previous hearings, Ruslan Izzatli once again called on AzTV and Public Television (İctimai TV) to stop their “smear campaign” and to cover the court proceedings:
“There are people here who were born after Ilham Aliyev came to power. Even if they are sentenced to 11 years, they’ll just laugh. We are not ashamed of anything. Let those who put these shackles on us feel the shame.”
He also responded to the specific accusations against him in the indictment.
Later, Toplum TV co-founder Alasgar Mammədli stated that the cash allegedly used as evidence against him was planted by police during a search of his home on March 8, 2024. He filed a motion for that money to be excluded from the list of evidence.
Lawyer Zibeyda Sadigova submitted a motion requesting that both Alasgar Mammadli and journalist Farid Ismayilov be released under house arrest due to health concerns.
The judge denied the motion, stating that, according to the Baku Detention Center, the accused are receiving the necessary medical care. However, Alasgar Mammadli argued that the detention center’s statement is not sufficient for a fair assessment.
Farid Ismayilov also filed a motion, requesting the presence of the Ombudsman at court sessions to monitor the trial. The prosecutor responded that the defendants must personally appeal to the Ombudsman for such a request.
Toplum TV video editor Mushfig Jabbar claimed that the expert reports ordered by the court were falsified.
